Colorado College rising senior Kendall Accetta advanced to the final of the 3000-meter steeplechase race at the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Meet Thursday in Geneva, Ohio.
 
Accetta finished fourth in the first heat of preliminaries with a school-record time of 10:56.94, the ninth-best time among the 22 runners in the event. The top four finishers in each of the two heats, plus the next four fastest times advanced to the final. She will be one of 12 runners in the final, which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. (MT), on Saturday, May 28.
 
"I am so happy and grateful that I made the finals," Accetta said after the race. "I was just trying to stay out of trouble and move up during the race, so I am glad it went as planned. I know many of my teammates and family members were cheering online, so thank you to all of them, as well as my two coaches who are here with me. I am so excited for Saturday morning."
 
Accetta is the first CC female to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since Katie Sandfort finished third in the 10K in 2017.
 
"Kendall executed the race plan beautifully," head coach Katie Bretscher said. "To make the finals as a first time qualifier is a huge accomplishment." 
 
The top eight finishers in the final will earn All-America honors.