Former UMKC runner breaks American steeplechase record

In one of the fastest-paced 3,000-meter steeplechases in history, former UMKC runner Courtney Frerichs ran the race of her life and finished second at the Monaco Diamond League meet Friday.

Finishing in 9 minutes, 0.85 seconds, Frerichs became the fastest American to complete the event, as she finished second behind new world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech.

Chepkoech obliterated the previous record by more than 8 seconds, finishing in 8:44.33.

Frerichs, who attended UMKC for three years before transferring to New Mexico for her senior year, finished ahead of fellow American Emma Coburn, who held the previous U.S. record.

“That race was incredible! 8 seconds under the WR, it’s such a huge step for the event,” Frerichs said in an interview with FloTrack. “I have to give so much credit to Emma for making this event what it is now in America. Who knows what’s coming next.”

Frerichs now holds the sixth-fastest time in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The race itself saw seven women break the 9:10 mark; the most runners to break that mark in a race prior to Friday was four.

During her final year at UMKC in 2015, Frerichs finished runner-up in the steeple at the NCAA outdoor championships. She also finished fifth in the 5,000 meters during the indoor season of her junior year.

At New Mexico, Frerichs dominated the steeplechase, winning gold at the 2016 NCAA outdoor; her time of 9:24.41 is the NCAA Division I record. By the time she graduated, she held four of the 10 fastest NCAA steeplechase times.

Frerichs will have a little over a month to savor her record before she gets ready to compete in the Diamond League Finals on Aug. 31 in in Brussels, Belgium.