Chico State women's distance runner Alex Burkhart knows a thing or two about competing on the national stage. A veteran of the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the Rancho Cucamonga product has made three trips to the track & field nationals during her Wildcats career, earning three All-America honors.
In her first race of the 2018, Burkhart made a strong bid to return to the NCAA Track & Field Championships, posting a Provisional qualifying mark in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday at the Hornet Invitational in Sacramento. Her impressive season-opening performance makes Burkhart the latest Wildcat of the Week.
Burkhart was the top collegiate finisher in Saturday's steeple, placing second overall with a Provisional time of 10:30.96, nearly 44 seconds faster than the third place finisher.
Burkhart was less than 12 seconds shy of grabbing an NCAA Automatic bid for May's national championships in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Her time ranks as the fastest in the steeplechase among Division II athletes so far this season, and the second best among all steeple runners nationwide, regardless of division.
Burkhart and the Chico State women's track & field team are back in action this Saturday, traveling to Arcata to take part in the Humboldt Invitational.
