Shawnee grad Mark Miller ran his first career steeplechase this weekend and turned in a 9:35.96, earning a spot in the 2019 NCAA Division 2 top-25.
Not a bad debut!
Miller, a sophomore at Hillsdale College in Michigan, placed third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Bellarmine Invitational in Louisville, Ky., Friday. Miller ran second among collegians, only 2 1/2 seconds behind Ross McCormick of Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill.
Miller ran 4:16.86 and 9:22.41 at Shawnee and won county and conference titles in the 1,600 and placed fourth in the state Group 4 meet in the spring of 2017.
At Hillsdale, he’s run 4:15.46 for the full mile and 8:46.34 for 3,000 meters. He was runner-up in the mile this past indoor season at the Greater Midwest Athletic Conference championships in Findlay, Ohio.
For the sake of comparison, 9:35 would have placed in the top five last year at the G-Mac Championships, and this was Miller’s first foray at the distance.
Miller’s 9:35 ranks him 23rd in NCAA Division after the first three weeks of the 2019 season.
