Alaska runner Allie Ostrander shines in her pro debut

Allie Ostrander’s first day on the new job went pretty well.

The Alaska track star made her pro debut Friday by turning in the second-fastest qualifying time in the women’s steeplechase at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ostrander, who signed a professional contract with Brooks Running a couple of weeks after winning her third straight NCAA steeplechase championship for Boise State last month, placed second in her heat.

She finished 1.9 seconds behind American record holder Courtney Frerichs. Frerichs, the silver medalist at the 2017 World Championships, finished in 9 minutes, 46.35 seconds, with Ostrander right behind in 9:47.54. They finished more than 10 seconds ahead of third-place Marie Lawrence.

Ostrander will race again in Sunday’s finals, where three spots in September’s World Championships will be up for grabs. Her race is scheduled for 3:09 p.m. ADT; television coverage of the meet begins at 3 p.m. on NBC Sports (cable channel 39).

Ostrander, a Kenai Central grad, ran with Frerichs for most of the race, with Ostrander holding a slight edge going into the bell lap. Frerich triumphed by covering the final 400 meters in 1:13.93; Ostrander did it in 1:15.23.

In the second of two heats, 2017 world champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Emma Coburn won in 9:51.43.

Coburn, a seven-time national champion, is already assured a spot in the World Championships because all of the 2017 world champions automatically secured spots in this year’s championships.

The top three finishers on Sunday who have met the world-qualifying time of 9:40 will join Coburn in Qatar. Of the 14 women who advanced to the finals seven have met that standard so far, including Ostrander, whose personal-best is a 9:31.44 registered in late June at the Prefontaine Classic.

Frerich’s PR is 9:00.85 and Coburn’s is 9:02.58.