EUGENE, Ore. – Eastern Kentucky University's Laura Taborda finished 17^th in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday evening at Hayward Field.
 
Taborda finished eighth in her heat (and 17^th overall) with a time of 10:03.13 in the semifinals on Thursday. While she did not advance to Saturday's final, it was the culmination of a historic season for the native of Covilha, Portugal.
 
Taborda won gold in the steeplechase at the ASUN Outdoor Championships in May. She then became the first EKU woman ever to run sub-10:00 in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, clocking a school-record time of 9:58.50. She was the first EKU woman ever to compete at the NCAA Championships in the steeplechase.