EUGENE — Roseburg High graduate Mahala Norris outraced the pack down the final stretch to win the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division I national championship meet in Eugene on Saturday.

Norris, running for the Air Force Academy, crossed the finish line in 9:31.79, which was nearly six seconds faster than her previous personal best. She became the first Academy female to claim a Division I national title in a running event and her time was the sixth-fastest in NCAA history.

“I didn’t think I was going to be there (at the end), but when I was, I thought ‘I definitely have a shot’,” Norris told goairforcefalcons.com. “So I just tried to focus on the finish. I knew it was close coming in, and when I finished, I looked up at the leaderboard to see just how close it was. I could see Joyce (Kimeli) out of the corner of my eye, so I guess I didn’t really know until the end.”

Norris has now qualified for the USA Olympic Trials, which will also be held in Eugene at Hayward Field. Events get started Friday and the women’s steeplechase has its first races on Sunday.