June 12, 2021

Former high school teammates Rainsberger and Mettler each earn bronze at NCAA Championships

Colorado Results

Four USATF Colorado members earned first team all-American honors at the NCAA Division 1 Track & Field Championships held June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.

Leading the Colorodans were former Air Acedemy High School teammates Maria Mettler (Air Force Acedemy; Colorado Springs) and Katie Rainsberger (University of Washington; Colorado Springs) who each finished third in their respective events.

Mettler, a senior at the Air Forece Acedemy ran 32:34.05 to place third in the 10,000m. Her time was a career best by 1 minute 9 seconds.

Rainsberger, a senior at Washington, placed third in an exciting 3000m steeplechase. Her time of 9:32.12 was a career best by over 4 seconds. Her previous best was from the qualifying round on Thursday night (10-Jun). Rainsberger was leading coming off the last water barrier with 150 meters to go but was passed in the closing stretch by eventual winner Mahala Norris (Air Force) and Joyce Kimeli (Auburn) in an dual. Norris ran just .33 seconds faster than Rainsberger in victory.

In the men's 10,000m Eric Hamer (Colorado State; Fort Collins), a graduate of Palmer Ridge High School, finished fifth running 27:44.87. The race was by far the fastest NCAA 10,000m ever run as the top ten finishers all ran faster than the previous meet record of 28:01.03 set in 1979 by Suleiman Nyambui. Hamer's time was a career best by 24 seconds and qualified him for next week's U.S.Olympic Team Trials. He also finished 14th in the 5000m running 13:31:27.

In the 1500m Micaela DeGenero (University of Colorado; Boulder) finished sixth in a time of 4:11.26. DeGenero is a native of Granville, Ohio.

Click here for the complete set of Colorado result.