CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cal State San Marcos senior Natalie Rodriguez fell short of advancing to the 1,500 meters finals after placing 9th in the first heat of the prelims at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. at Irwin Belk Complex. But it's not over yet for the senior runner.
 
There were two heats held and the top four individuals in each heat advanced to the finals, along with the next four finishers by time.
 
Rodriguez started off strong, maintaining her pace and solid strides. Rodriguez kept up with the top half of the group for the better half of the race. Towards the last lap, she began to lose a bit of her momentum and finished with a time of 4:32.69
 
Rodriguez will look to shift her focus as she is slated to compete in the 5,000 meters on Saturday, racing with 22 other runners at 3:35 p.m. PST. Entering the race, Rodriguez has the eighth best time in the nation at 16:27.55 that she achieved on April 19 at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

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