Get those Steeples!!
Three Spartans Head to Eugene for NCAA Track & Field Championships
After standout performances at the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, three Michigan State Spartans are out west, back in Eugene, Oregon, to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field. With a pair of senior steeplechasers and a rising star in the 5000 meters, all three athletes are looking to earn All-American honors and etch their names into Spartan track history (and more).
Mike Carter-Imagn Images
Andrew Nolan – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase (Semifinal: Wednesday, 4:38 p.m. ET)
The first Spartan to qualify out of Jacksonville, Andrew Nolan left no doubt with a solid final-lap surge to grab fourth in his heat and eighth overall in 8:37.83—a new MSU record, breaking his own mark from April. The senior has steadily climbed the national ranks in 2024 and arrives in Eugene with the 16th-fastest time among qualifiers. This will be Nolan’s first appearance at the outdoor championships, though he’s no stranger to national meets, having run at NCAAs in cross country. He’ll look to become the first MSU male All-American in the steeplechase since Max Benoit in 2018—and maybe make his coach a little nostalgic in the process.
Kate Stewart-Barnett – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase (Semifinal: Thursday, 4:38 p.m. ET | Final: Friday, 6:24 p.m. ET)
The reigning Big Ten champion returns to the scene of her conference triumph with bigger goals in mind. Stewart-Barnett placed second in her heat at regionals and fourth overall with a controlled 9:47.15, cruising into her first NCAA Outdoor Championships. But make no mistake—she’s not just happy to be here. Her season-best 9:36.96 from the Raleigh Relays ranks third nationally, within striking distance of the runner-up spot and just a rolled ankle away from the top. No Spartan woman has earned All-American honors in the steeplechase since Karrigan Smith in 2019; Stewart-Barnett has the pace to change that.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Rachel Forsyth – Women’s 5000m Final (Saturday, 7:55 p.m. ET)
Freshman Rachel Forsyth was the last to qualify on last day of Regionals, but she didn’t sneak in here or to the autumn CC championships where she earned All-American honors (and cemented Great Lakes Region Women’s Runner of the Year). Her effort at regionals earned her a personal-best 15:30.50—fast enough for ninth overall and a ticket to Eugene on time. It was a 13-second PR over her Big Ten Championships time of 15:43.81. Forsyth enters as the 9th seed based on time but her recent form suggests the more is within reach, especially with the top few runners likely to string the field out early and others swapping out for other events. A top-10 finish would round out a remarkable Frosh campaign, and Forsyth’s steady rise suggests she’s just getting started.
Photo by Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How to Watch
The NCAA Championships will be shown online via ESPN+ with cable coverage bouncing around the ESPN family of networks.
Go Green.