The nerves have eased for Hope College's Erin Herrmann as she approaches the sixth NCAA Division III Championship event of her running career.
The junior from Wheaton, Illinois (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) has grown more comfortable and confident competing with the nation's best.
Herrmann is racing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. She is seeded fourth out of 22 runners who qualified.
"In past years going to these national meets, I was a newbie. Going into them would seem really scary and really different," Herrmann said. "Now, I don't feel quite as nervous. It feels more like an exciting opportunity to really see what I can do competing against some of the best Division III athletes in the nation."
Herrmann is scheduled to run on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Central. She is trying to advance to Saturday's final.
Click here to watch live video of today's meet.
Click here for an event schedule and live results.
Herrmann qualified for the national meet with a school-record time of 10 minutes, 40.44 seconds at the North Central College Gregory Invitational on May 13 in Naperville, Illinois. Ohio Wesleyan's Sarah Fowler is the event's top seed with a run of 10:27.30.
"She made a big step up this year," Hope track & field coach Kevin Cole said of his steeplechase runner. If she runs the way she's capable of, she should be among the top finishers. Her goals might be a little higher than that."
Herrmann earned All-America recognition in cross country last fall and finished 12th in indoor track & field in the 3,000 meters lat March.
Previously, Herrmann also competed in nationals in cross country (2013-14) and outdoor track & field (2015).
Herrmann feels blessed for how her season and career have unfolded.
"I really thank God for the improvement I've seen in myself and our whole team over the past few years," Herrmann said. "We've learned a lot of done what we needed to do to improve. A lot of us have put in the miles to stay healthy, stay in the game and keep improving.
"At the same time, this year has been moving so fast. It's kind of hard to wrap my mind around it," Herrmann said. "The year has been full of excitement, opportunities, and realizing abilities you never thought you could."
