GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Just two months ago at the Calvin Invitational, freshman Ellia Agar was willing to take a chance in a race she had never competed in before, the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Putting her fears and doubts aside, Agar powered her way to a time of 11:37.24 in her inaugural steeplechase competition.

Over the next five weeks, Agar dropped nearly 30 seconds, taking third in the steeplechase at the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 11:11.89.  She dropped another three seconds one week later at the St. Francis Fighting Chance Invite, clocking in with a time of 11:08.17. Her times at the MIAA Championships and later at St. Francis were qualifying times for the USTAF U20 (Under 20) Championships.

Agar will compete in the steeplechase at the USTAF U20 Championships Meet Thursday night at 5:33 p.m. (PCT) at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Live results and video for the competition will be available online at: Nike Outdoor Nationals

Agar remembers the conversation between herself and Calvin distance coach Nicole Kramer prior to her first steeplechase race back in April. "We talked and I said: 'I kind of want to try this,' and at first, she almost pulled me out because there were times (in practicing the event) that I was falling apart. Ultimately, we just decided to go for it, and it turned out to be a lot of fun."

Agar had three weeks between her April 12 race at the Calvin Invite and the MIAA Championships at Alma. She went to work in practice, running with Calvin All-Americans Jenna Allman and Sophie Bull while listening to the instruction of Kramer, a former steeplechase standout herself.

"Coach Kramer would video (record) us jumping over the water pit and barriers in practice and break down the areas where we could improve," said Agar. "I had great teammates running in the race with me. They were very encouraging without putting any extra pressure on me. They were always willing to show what I was doing well and where I could also improve."

The practice paid off at the MIAA Championships as Bull, Allman and Agar swept the top three spots, spearheading early momentum that helped the Knights capture their first outdoor league crown since 2016. Agar's time came with an automatic qualifying berth to the USATF U20 Meet. Her race a week later at St. Francis confirmed that she was well on her way to racing at the national level.

"Ellia has had an awesome freshman year. We are excited to cap the season like this," said Kramer. "She took to the steeplechase really well. She had a multi-sport background from her middle school days which helped out a lot with her flexibility and mobility to get over the barriers. She ran her first steeple very smart and relaxed and then took it up a big notch at the conference meet to hit the (USTAF) standard. A week later at St. Francis, she ran faster and ran gutsy. She ran with some high-level upperclassmen runners that qualified for the NCAA III Championships which is a big indicator of her potential. It's amazing to see her accomplish this much as a freshman. We are very proud and excited for her."

A Calvin Dean's List student, Agar is majoring in secondary education with an emphasis in Spanish and mathematics.

When asked about running at historic Hayward Field, Agar is succinct in her description of the opportunity. "It's pretty cool. It's exciting."

Indeed.