EUGENE, Ore — Air Force's Mahala Norris wrapped up her incredible senior campaign with a 13th-place finish in the finals of the 3000-meter steeplechase.
The recently-commissioned second lieutenant for the U.S. Space Force accounted for the third-fastest time of her career – 9:41.59 – during her fourth steeplechase at Hayward Field in the last 14 days.
Earlier this week Norris was named the 2021 Mountain West Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year.
The native of Roseburg, Oregon, is the first Falcon to earn Mountain West Outdoor Student-Athlete of the Year since the award was created in 2008.
At the 2021 Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the senior clocked Mountain WEst Championship meet records in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000-meter run, claiming Conference titles in both events. In the steeplechase, Norris finished with a time of 9:44.10, three seconds faster than the previous MW Championship record.
In the 5k, Norris recorded a time of 15:39.13, which is five seconds faster than the previous Conference Champion record.
At the 2021 NCAA Championships, Norris captured the national title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, marking the fifth-straight MW student-athlete claim the women’s steeplechase title.
After crossing the finish line with a personal-best time of 9:31.79, Norris became the first Air Force female to claim a Division I national title in a running event.
