Wyoming has stellar steeplechasers in Harry Ewing, and Kacey Doner

And it just so happens the University of Wyoming track and field program has two good ones who do it.

Sophomore Harry Ewing and junior Kacey Doner compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and both will showcase their talents Friday at the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Clovis, California.

Ewing enters the event with the top time in the Mountain West, and a school record of 8 minutes, 42.72 seconds. Doner recorded the second-fastest time in school history this season at 10:23.54, but is in a loaded field as three of the nine female steeplechase athletes in the NCAA who have times under 10 minutes are from the MW. Doner’s time is 11th in the conference.

Those who compete in the steeplechase run nearly two miles, and also must leap over large barriers next to water. The event isn’t that prominent at the high school level in the United States, so when seventh-year UW track/cross-country coach Bryan Berryhill and his staff are out on the recruiting trail, they are looking for certain things in potential steeplechase runners.

“First off, it is an event you’ve got to want to try,” Berryhill said. “When we look at steeplechase athletes, you look for a really good overall athlete. Maybe an athlete that has played a different sport, done some jumping along the way. When you look at Harry and Kacy, they’re both naturally really good athletes.

“It takes a lot of drill work outside of just going out there and running. You have to be committed to it.”

Ewing is from Hamilton, New Zealand, and had experience in the steeplechase prior to coming to UW. In fact, he was the national runner-up in the event while attending the St. Peter’s School.

Obviously, the ability to run long distances is a must. But Ewing said an important aspect is form and technique jumping over the barrier.

“You can lose so much time if you don’t have good form,” Ewing said. “I enjoy working on that and attacking that.”

An area Ewing and the UW coaches have been working on this season is the final 400 to 800 meters of the race. Last year, Ewing just missed qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships because he wasn’t able to finish strong.

“If you don’t have that speed and strength down the stretch, you won’t get your ticket punched,” he said.

Doner, who is from Fort Collins, Colorado, said her first experience with the steeplechase came at a meet in Boulder, Colorado. She liked it and wanted to give it a try at UW.

“I like the uniqueness of it, and it definitely adds another challenge compared to races I run Doner said. “It is a different kind of mental break than what I’m used to.”

Doner said she does a lot of hurdle drills to prepare for races. Berryhill said Doner also has worked on the transition from going over the barrier and landing in the water.

Speaking of water: What’s it like to run a race with wet feet? Isn’t that uncomfortable or awkward?

“It is not too bad,” Ewing said. “You don’t wear socks because they will carry water. If you’re really good and do it right, you only get one foot wet. Your first foot goes into the water, and your second goes back onto the track. The way spikes are now, they drain well so you don’t really notice it.”

Ewing and Doner feel good going into their races this week. Ewing may be the favorite, but he knows there are other good distance runners in the field, so he definitely isn’t overconfident.

Doner said a key for her will be to stay in the middle of the pack in her race and not be afraid to make a move when the rest of the pack does.

“Both have run the best races they’ve run all year if they want to come out either winning or being all-conference,” Berryhill said.

Meet information

The MW Outdoor Championships begin today with the decathlon and heptathlon. Those events conclude Thursday, and later that day will be the men’s and women’s 10,000-meter runs.

The rest of the running and field events will be held Friday and Saturday.