ISU men’s track and field runner Hillary Bor qualified Wednesday for the 3,000-meter steeplechase final at the 2011 NCAA track and field national championships.

Bor will be running in the final on Friday in hopes of becoming just the second Cyclones track and field athlete in school history to be named an All-American four times in a single event.

The top eight runners in the final event of NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are named All-Americans.

“I have finished in the top four for the last three years,” Bor said. “I have been here for the last three years. I can make in the top eight, top three. It’s just a matter of coming here and fighting through.”

In previous years, Bor has finished second, third and fourth in the event, never being named a national champion.

Bor had a disappointing qualifying race, finishing sixth in his heat with a time of 8 minutes, 48.95 seconds.

With just the top six runners from each heat being guaranteed a spot in the final, Bor knows he very nearly missed Friday’s race all together.

“I’ve been trying to take it easy for some time, but it didn’t go well today,” Bor said. “I struggled from the beginning. I’m glad I ended up making the final. I hope these next 48 hours I can get a lot of rest and come back feeling good on Friday.”

To compete for a national championship, Bor will have to deal with Louisville senior Matt Hughes, who ran the fastest qualifying time in either heat with a time of 8:40.04.

“Last year I was feeling the same. I finished fifth in the semis and I didn’t feel good, but I came back in the final and finished third. You never know,” Bor said.

Bor will be running the 3,000-meter steeplechase final Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Drake Stadium in Des Moines.