GREENSBORO, N.C. – Birgen Nelson (So., Edina) ran a 1:02.99 in the prelims of the 400-hurdles on Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, qualifying for Saturday’s final race. Nelson’s time was third in heat three and eighth overall among 19 competitors. Simone Wilson of Concordia-Chicago posted the top time in prelims at 1:01.02.
“In a meet like this, especially if you qualify in more than one event, it is easy to lose focus,” Assistant Coach Nathan Harder said. “Birgen was locked in, stuck to her race plan, and qualified for finals. For her third time running this event, she put down a very impressive performance. It was a great start to the championship meet and the team is excited to keep up this positive momentum tomorrow and Saturday.”
The finals are at 1:15 p.m. CST Saturday with the top eight finishers earning All-America status.