Esther Komen is one of two Lady Bisons running in the steeplechase.
SEARCY - Four Harding runners will compete at the NCAA II Outdoor National Track and Field Championships on Thursday-Saturday in San Angelo, Texas. Bison sophomore Daniel Kirwa will compete in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Freshman Philip Biwott, junior Esther Komen and junior Katy Grant will all compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Kirwa’s national meet will begin Thursday at 9:20 p.m. when he looks to defend his championship in the 10,000-meter final. Friday at 8:45 p.m., Kirwa will run in the first heat of the 5,000-meter preliminaries. The top four finishers in each of the two heats plus the next four fastest times will advance to the 5,000-meter final Saturday at 9 p.m.
Biwott, also of Eldoret, Kenya, qualified for the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:17.69 at Ole Miss and will be running in his first outdoor national meet. Biwott will run Thursday at 7:40 p.m. in the
first preliminary heat. The top four in each heat plus the next four fastest times will advance to the finals Saturday at 5:25 p.m.
Grant, a native of Mustang, Okla., and Komen, who hails from Iten, Kenya, will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminaries on Thursday at 7:10 p.m., and both will run in the second heat. The top four finishers in each heat and the next four fastest times will move on to Saturday’s final
at 5:10 p.m.
Grant ran 10:47.52 at the Ole Miss Invitational and is the eighth seed in the national meet. She will be running in her second national meet. Last year, Grant placed 17th in the steeplechase. Komen ran 10:48.07 at Ole Miss and is ranked ninth. She earned All-America honors last season in the
outdoor 3,000 meters, placing fifth.
All-America honors go to the top eight finishers in the finals of each event.