http://www.letsrun.com/photos/2013/ncaa-indoor-friday/imagepages/image187.php

It was a battle, but would you expect anything less in an NCAA semi final?!  Amanda was patient and wrestled the field to grab the final auto qualifying spot into tonight's final.  With 200m to go she had slipped to sixth place in a race that required fourth to advance.  Then her drive and toughness came through. She moved to fifth on the backstretch before coming off the final turn and passing a runner she had never beaten on the track to capture that finals spot.  Her 800 splits (2:23/2:15) indicate the type of rough and tumble race it was.

The mile final can be viewed live at 6p CST tonight on ESPN3 on your computer.  Be sure to go to the U of Utah Facebook page (search University of Utah Track & Field) to wish her good luck.

Click on the photo link above to see just how close it was down the final 40m straightaway.