JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida track and field senior
Smilla Kolbe won her heat and punched her ticket to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 2:00.09 in the women's 800-meter at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Region First Round on Saturday evening hosted at Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium.
The time was the fastest in heat two, the fourth-fastest overall in the event and the second-fastest of her career. She earned an automatic qualifying spot to the national championship when she won her heat. Kolbe notched her spot in the quarterfinal round after she posted a time of 2:02.29 to win her heat and place fifth out of 48 participants in the first round on Thursday.
With the top-12 finish in the East Region, Kolbe has clinched consecutive appearances in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She joins Briana Frazier (2011, 2012) and Eden Meyer (2017, 2018) to become the third Osprey advance to consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The qualifying student-athletes from the NCAA East and West Region move on to the 2025 Outdoor Track and Field Championships from June 11-14 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
