BYU senior runner and Layton native Courtney Wayment made history Saturday at the University of Oregon.

On a wet track and with plenty of rain still falling, Wayment powered past the field in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase to crush the collegiate record and win the national championship in the event.

Wayment’s official time of 9:16.00 set the new NCAA record by more than 8 seconds, besting the 9:24.41 run by New Mexico’s Courtney Frerichs in the 2016 national meet.

“The plan was rely on my fitness and all the things I have done to get to this moment, and if anyone’s going to come with me then I’ll just put on the gas a little bit more,” Wayment said on ESPN after the race.

Only second-place Kayley Delay of Yale, whose 9:25.08 is now the third-best NCAA women’s steeple time in, was even on the final straightaway when Wayment, a Davis High alum, crossed the finish line with her arms raised high in celebration.

Her mark qualifies her for the World Championships to be held at the same track in July.

“What a run by Courtney. She said wait a minute, I’m the fastest in this race, none of you guys can go with me,” said ESPN color analyst Robert Griffin III just after the race concluded.

Wayment recounted the time when she flamed out at the NCAA Regionals meet as a freshman in 2017 and her parents drove her to Oregon to watch the national meet. She cried during the finals “because I wanted so badly to be on that track,” she said.

“So today was to inspire all the young women out there that were once me in 2017, saying you can do it, and you just have to give yourself a shot.”

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