EUGENE, Ore. - Constanze Paoli claimed one of the 12 spots in Saturday's women's 3000m steeplechase final Thursday, by breaking her own school record in a lightning-quick first semifinal heat at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

"Wow! What a performance from Conny!" Tracy Hellman, Idaho's Director of Track and Field said post-race. "To qualify for the NCAA final is an unbelievable accomplishment! Only the very best in the nation qualify for the final, and she is in elite company! Not only did she earn her spot to get here, she absolutely showed she belonged by breaking her school record today! The hardest part is getting to the final, so now we can reset and get ready to represent Idaho on the biggest stage!"

The junior paced within the top five automatic qualifying positions for the majority of the race, and remained with the four-person lead pack from the fourth lap on, before crossing the line in 9:44.85, good enough for fourth. Not only does this time help Paoli take a spot in Saturday's final, it also is a career best for the German, resetting the 9:50.89 school record she set at the Big Sky Championship in May. 

"I had so much fun racing," Paoli said following the semifinal. "The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing. When I saw that our group of four had a little bit of a gap roughly 5 minutes into the race, and I still felt pretty good, I was able to relax a bit and honestly just enjoyed running the last couple laps with the fast ladies around me. Super stoked for the final!"

Paoli will look to follow in the footsteps of Katja Pattis and become Idaho's second all-Americian in the event in as many years on Saturday. The final is set to begin at 5:24 p.m., and will air on ESPN2.

FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Idaho Cross Country, follow the team on Instagram (IdahoTrack), X (IdahoTFXC), and visit GoVandals.com.