USA Sr/Jr National Championships
Ben Bruce Seventh in Steeplechase at USATF Championships
6/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
RESULTS
DES MOINES, IA – Former Cal Poly standout Ben Bruce finished seventh in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday. The championships were held at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines.
Bruce, the Cal Poly record holder in the 5000 meter run and the second-best time in the steeplechase, finished with a time of 8:36.82. Bruce was the early leader in the race until it appeared he had an awkward landing coming off the water jump on the third lap. While maintaining the same pace, Bruce fell back in the pack until the last lap when he moved up three places.
Bruce advanced to the finals when he was clocked in a time of 8:38.28 and finished in fifth place. The 2005 Cal Poly graduate posted a PR of 8:19.10 in the steeplechase in 1011.
Evan Jager won the race with a time of 8:20.67.
In Friday's competition, former Cal Poly standout Sharon Day captured the heptathlon title with a personal-best score to win the championship.
The two-time Olympian entered the second day of the heptathlon in first and backed it up with enough to set a PR of 6550 points surpassing her 2012 PR of 6343.
Qualifiers for team USA will compete at the IAAF World Championships August 10 - August 18 in Moscow, Russia.
Maggie Vessey posted a time of 2:01.02 and finished in fifth in her heat of the 800 meter run. She needed to finish in the top four to advance to the finals.
Two-time Big West Conference champion, John Prader, failed to clear the opening height of 17-feet, 6.50-inches in the pole vault. Prader is the Cal Poly record holder after clearing a height of 18-feet, 7.25-inches this past April.
