JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Senior distance runner Sadie Sigfstead (Edmonton, Alta.) is headed back to the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meters. Sigfstead punched her ticket to Eugene, Ore. for a second straight year after finishing in the top 12 of her national semifinal heat at the NCAA East Preliminary on Thursday night. She finished 10^th in a field of 48 runners with a time of 32:56.98, marking her third career race and second this season under 33 minutes.
 
The success that Sigfstead has had in the 10K specifically over the last two outdoor seasons has been remarkable. She now accounts for three of the five fastest times in school history in the event, with that list expanding to include four of the top seven times and five of the 13 fastest marks in the Villanova record book. Her five fastest times have all come in the last 14 months, including her PR of 32:39.54 which ranks No. 2 in school history and made Sigfstead a Penn Relays champion earlier this season.
 
It was at this meet last year that Sigfstead qualified for the NCAA Championships in an individual track event for the first time. The veteran of three career NCAA races in cross country, she would eventually go on to finish 12^th in the 10K at the NCAA Championships last year and earn second team All-America honors. She has continued to improve since then.
 
Still, advancing out of Thursday night's semifinal race was no mere formality given the talented field of runners that stepped onto the starting line. The collective strength of the 48 runners was seen in the results. Each of the first 10 runners across the finish line, Sigfstead included, broke the previous facility record of 33:06.83 at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Keep in mind that the facility has hosted seven of the last 11 NCAA East Preliminary meets as well as every Atlantic Sun championship meet from 2009-23.
 
With experience comes poise, and Sigfstead ran her entire race like a veteran performer who knew exactly what she needed to do to move on to the next round. There were 12 spots up for grabs for the 48 runners in terms of how many would qualify for the NCAA Championships next month. Sigfstead was never in danger of slipping out of the top 12, even when a lead pack of 13 runners started to break away midway through the race. Even as she steadily held her position Sigfstead had the experience of knowing there is still more racing to come, including on Saturday night when she competes in the semifinal round of the 5000 meters.
 
It was therefore the consistency of the way Sigfstead paced herself that was the most impressive part of Thursday night's performance. She ran 20 of her 25 laps around the oval with splits of 78-81 seconds; the exceptions were five laps timed between 75-77 seconds when Sigfstead maintained her place in the ranking against challengers behind her.
 
Saturday night's race in the 5K awaits Sigfstead next, but regardless of the outcome she now knows she will be headed back to Hayward Field in Oregon for the NCAA Championships which run June 11-14. The national championship race in the women's 10,000 meters is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, June 12 and Sigfstead will seek to join school record holder Carole Zajac as the only athletes in school history with multiple career All-America honors in the 10K.