Allie Ostrander, a 2015 graduate of Kenai Central High School, ran the fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase qualifying time in NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships history Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Ostrander, of Soldotna, ran 9 minutes, 45.96 seconds, in the semifinals to qualify to defend her national title Saturday.

“I thought it went pretty well,” Ostrander, a redshirt sophomore at Boise State, said in a released statement. “Pacing was solid and I was able to string out the pack so it wasn’t tight at the end … but I felt like my hurdling wasn’t super good today.

“I kept stuttering before the hurdles and almost tripped on one of the water jumps, so I think I got that out of my system before finals.”