Allie Ostrander, a 2015 graduate of Kenai Central, finished second at the NCAA West Regional cross-country meet Friday in Seattle.
The race turned into a dual of a pair of NCAA outdoor track and field champions. Ostrander, a redshirt sophomore at Boise State, won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the spring, while Charlotte Taylor of San Francisco, a senior, triumphed at 10,000 meters.
At five kilometers into the six-kilometer race, Taylor tried to pull away from Ostrander, but Ostrander stuck with the leader. However, a Taylor kick at the finish brought victory in a course record of 19 minutes, 14.2 seconds, while Ostrander crossed at 19:16.5 at the Jefferson Park Golf Course.
The Boise State women, who finished fourth at the meet, have now have had a runner in the top three at the region meet for five straight years.
Ostrander will race at the national championships on Nov. 18 in Louisville, Kentucky. Ostrander finished second in the meet as a freshman, then missed last year’s cross-country season with an injury.
