FLASH: Emily de la Bruyere qualifies for USATF Outdoor Championships

Emily de la Bruyere is set to compete in the 3000m steeplechase on Thursday at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships. Her 10:02.36 performance from May shows that she's ready to compete in a national-level field, and those with insider knowledge won't be surprised to see her qualify for the finals. Coach Jerry provided additional context on why Emily is prepared to make some noise tomorrow night:

"Emily was not planning to run the steeple this spring. She was invited to run what she thought was a flat 3000 at the IFAM meet in Belgium, and when she found out that it was actually a steeple, we were somewhat hesitant given the fact that she hadn't even seen a barrier in over a year.  But she was confident in her hurdling ability and decided to give it a go. We were both pleasantly surprised that the result was a big PR, and it didn't take long to realize that she might be able to qualify for nationals with that mark.  Emily has trained very well the last few weeks, and she's race sharp and ready to go.  This is a huge breakthrough for Emily, and for GRC, as Emily will be the first athlete to represent GRC at the outdoor champs."

Weather conditions in Sacramento have been oppressively hot over the past few days, and Thursday looks to be no different. While most would consider hot track-side temperatures to be detrimental, Coach Jerry believes that the situation could play into Emily's favor. "Given the likelihood of a slow pace and her excellent closing speed," Coach Jerry explained, "I think she's capable of pulling off a major surprise."