Lafond advances to 3,000-meter steeplechase finals
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on May 24, 2013 1:47 PM
PUEBLO, Colo. -- Mount Olive College freshman Dylan Lafond finished second among 10 runners during his preliminary race and earned an automatic berth to the finals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2013 NCAA Division II men's outdoor track and field championship meet Thursday evening.
The top four finishers in the two preliminaries advanced to the finals, which are today at 9:35 p.m.
Lafond spent much of the race in seventh place before moving up to sixth at the midway point. He climbed to fifth and edged his way into the top four as the race wound down.
After the final hurdle, five runners were bunched together down the stretch and Lafond looked back, then lunged at the wire to finish second overall.
A distance runner from Manchester, N.H., Lafond is competing in his third NCAA championship meet this year. His is scheduled to run the 5,000-meter race Saturday evening in the next-to-last event in this year's championship meet.