AUSTIN, Texas – Rebekah Topham earned her first All-American honor finishing eighth in the women's 3000m steeplechase, Saturday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
 
Competing in 98-degree Texas heat, Rebekah Topham finished eighth in Saturday's 3000m steeplechase finals with a time of 9:57.80 to earn first team All-American honors, her first All-American honors as a Shocker. Topham became the second female to earn All-American honors in the steeplechase in Wichita State history, Mica Land first achieved the honor in 2008 when she placed 10th with a time of 10:12.28.
 
According to plan, Topham got off to a slow start running the first lap in 1:30.20, second lap in 1:26.03 and third lap in 1:25.88, finding herself trailing in 12th place in 4:22.10 at just under the halfway mark.
 
Known for her late kick, Topham started moving up in the race at the beginning of the fifth lap passing Nell Crosby of North Carolina State University. She continued her push running the sixth lap in 1:24.69, passing Alissa Niggeman of Wisconsin and Brianna Ilarda of Providence.
 
Heading into the final lap in ninth place, Topham battled for a first team All-America finish clocking in at 1:16.18 passing Gabrielle Jennings of Furman to finish eighth overall in 9:57.80.
 
Allie Ostrander of Boise State University defended her title winning the race for the third consecutive year, becoming the first three-time 3000m steeplechase female champion in NCAA history.
 
The Griswold, Iowa, native became the third Shocker to earn All-American honors and the second to earn first team honors at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Aaron True finished fifth in the men's javelin Wednesday night earning first team honors, while teammate Ben Johnson placed 12th in the decathlon finishing with second team honors.

Her All-American honor is the eighth female distance track and field outdoor All-American honor coached under Kirk Hunter since his arrival in 2010.
 
Topham, a redshirt junior, will return for the 2019-20 cross country, indoor and outdoor track season as the defending American Athletic Conference MVP in indoor and outdoor.