AUSTIN, Texas – For the first time in her storied career as a Cowgirl, Audra DeStefano is heading to the NCAA Championships. The Gillette, Wyo., native qualified to compete on collegiate track & field's biggest stage with a 12th-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA West Preliminary Round on Friday. DeStefano is the first Cowgirl to advance to the NCAA outdoor championships since Kate Burton advanced in the hammer throw in 2008.

Clocking a time of 10 minutes, 20.28 seconds on Friday evening at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas, DeStefano  came up with the biggest career performance at a regional meet when it mattered most. Ranked No. 21 in the steeplechase entering Friday's race, she jumped up nine spots to become the first Cowgirl and fourth Wyoming athlete to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the eight years of the current qualifying system.

"It was probably 90 degrees and very humid when they were running," head coach Bryan Berryhill said of DeStefano's race on Friday. "She went out there and didn't let the heat affect her race. Audra's been very consistent her whole career, but she's had some adversity. One thing that fueled her today was going to last year's NCAA West Preliminary Round and not being able to compete [due to injury]. That drove her to make it to Eugene."

Cowboy senior Jordan Charles posted another highlight for Wyoming on Friday, advancing to Saturday's quarterfinal round in the men's 110-meter hurdles. Running at the NCAA West Preliminary Round for the fourth straight year, Charles clocked a time of 13.94 seconds to finish 15th in Friday's first round. He will compete at 6:20 p.m. MT on Saturday, attempting to post a top-12 quarterfinal finish in order to secure a trip to Eugene.  

Jerayah Davis competed in the quarterfinals of the women's 100 meters on Friday, taking 20th overall with a time of 11.46. Meanwhile, Bryce Ailshie competed in the quarterfinals of the men's 800 meters, taking 21st place overall with a time of 1:53.39 to jump 14 spots from his finish at last year's regional meet. Neither Davis nor Ailshie will advance to the NCAA Championships in their respective events. 

The NCAA West Preliminary Round continues on Saturday, with Charles and fellow senior Scott Carter scheduled to compete for trips to Eugene on the final day of the three-day meet. Carter will suit up in the Brown and Gold to compete in the men's triple jump, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. MT in Austin. If either advance, they will join DeStefano at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which are slated for June 7-10 in Eugene. Fans can stream Saturday's action or follow live results at the links above, while additional information is available via @wyo_track on Twitter.