SACRAMENTO, Calif. – North Dakota State senior Jacob Rodin earned a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday night, racing to an automatic berth in the 800m.
 
At the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, Rodin finished third in 1:48.60 in his quarterfinal heat to claim the final qualifying spot for the national meet.
 
The fifth-year senior ran at the front of the pack for the majority of Friday's race, holding off the pursuit of some of the nation's top 800m runners over the final 75 meters.
 
Rodin becomes the first Bison man to qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships in an individual running event.
 
The Kenmare, N.D., native will race in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, June 7, at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Rodin is the NDSU school record holder in the indoor and outdoor 800m, indoor 600m, and outdoor 4x400m relay. Indoors, he ranks second in school history for the 400m, 500m, and 4x400m relay – in addition to being No. 2 in the 4x800m relay and sprint medley outdoors.
 
Rodin was a member of the Bison 4x400m relay squad that qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2022, but this will be his first appearance in an individual event at the national meet.