BOISE, Idaho — In less than a week, some of the nation's top athletes will compete in the 2023 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at the prestigious Hayward Field in Oregon. One of those athletes is former Boise State star and NCAA All-American Marisa Howard.
Howard qualified for the upcoming trials a year after missing them altogether due to the birth of her son, Kai. In addition to the Washington native's new title as a mother, Howard also works part-time as a school nurse.
In what she describes as her first "real travel trip" with her son at home in December, Howard finished eighth at the 2022 USATF National Club Cross Championships in San Francisco. In a conversation with KTVB this week, the 3,000-meter steeplechase runner said the performance was a positive eye-opener.
"Fifth place was within reach, I mean, a few seconds," Howard said. "I think at that race I kind of was like, 'woah, this is coming back way faster than I anticipated.'"
The momentum continued as Howard ran "step-for-step" with Courtney Wayment, one of the top runners in the nation, in her steeplechase opener. Despite her time away from the track, the Boise State grad is back in form ahead of the trials she missed a year ago.
"I'm shocked at where we're at, but training has been going better than it ever has. I mean – whether it's post-partum or not – I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been in, which is really exciting going into USAs," Howard said.
At the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene in June 2021, Howard advanced through the preliminary round in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. Howard posted a fifth-place finish alongside fellow Bronco great Allie Ostrander.
When Howard lines up for the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminaries on July 8 in Track Town, she will again compete with an athlete with ties to the Gem State. Former Mountain View High School standout and Idaho record-breaker Lexy Halladay-Lowry is also headed to the University of Oregon in less than a week.
Halladay-Lowry finished in fourth place in the steeplechase last month at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The BYU junior was also named a First Team All-American.
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