By Abigail Winn
Though often one of the most chaotic races in track, the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday at the Oregon Twilight meet was fairly quiet.
Three of the five women scheduled to compete scratched. Erika Barr won the event with a time of 10 minutes, 30.47 seconds against lone competitor Brianna Nerud.
Having only one other person competing in the event wasn’t as easy as it may seem.
“It did get really hard the last few laps, the last (kilometer) for sure,” said Barr, who runs for SRA Elite. “It’s always a little easier when there’s someone to chase, so then you kinda have to bring it out of yourself, so I think it’s good to practice that, too.”
Oregon senior Nerud, who holds the school record for the steeplechase, added that while it was a little weird to have one competitor, it was a good change: “It’s kinda nice sometimes. There’s only two of you running, so you can really focus on yourself.”
Despite the way things turned out, Barr said that the atmosphere at Hayward Field was beneficial to her performance. “It helps a lot, definitely, especially on a day like today where people scratch. Eugene is awesome, so it’s never a bad trip coming here, no matter how the race goes.”
Barr is a two-time Big West Outdoor champion in the event. A 2016 graduate of UC Davis, she joined the Sacramento Running Association Elite team, which came with its own set of challenges.
“It’s been great training-wise,” she said. “But it’s a lot harder to figure out meets and get in good meets because you don’t have a college attached to your name. This (meet) was pretty last-minute.”
Regardless, Barr said she is happy where she is and has high hopes for this season.
“I’m trying to qualify for the U.S. Track and Field Championships. It’s in Sacramento this year, so it’s awesome being able to live there and train there every day,” she said.
