Four-time All-American and mother has been on an inspired journey since returning from giving birth to son Jack to conquer 3,000-meter steeplechase, contend for national title 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

As if returning from giving birth to her first child to again become one of the nation’s most versatile distance runners less than 18 months later wasn’t enough of a challenge for Brigham Young redshirt junior Erica Birk-Jarvis, the fastest mother in NCAA Division 1 track and field had some unfinished business when it came to conquering additional obstacles this spring.

Having already served her two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cleveland, Ohio in 2014-15, Birk-Jarvis has been on a different quest this season, in the form of clearing 28 barriers and seven water jumps in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

In the final race of her 2017 track season, before taking time off to give birth that December to son Jack, Birk-Jarvis placed 22nd in the 3,000 steeplechase in 10:42.17 at the NCAA West Regionals in Austin, Texas.

“I think the passion comes because two years ago I ran this event at regionals and I was pregnant and I ran a horrible race,” said Birk-Jarvis, who had earned All-America honors during the 2016 cross country season by placing 34th at nationals.

“Ever since that race, going through my pregnancy and having my baby, I thought about this moment, about coming back and having a different outcome.”

Following a first-place finish May 24 in a personal-best 9:42.54 in her qualifying heat at the West Regionals in Sacramento, Calif., Birk-Jarvis not only earned her first career trip to the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, but an opportunity to contend for a national title on the same Mike A. Myers Stadium track in Austin.

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“While her success in the 1500 and 5K was promising, her event we felt would be her best shot was the steeple,” BYU associate head track and field coach Diljeet Taylor said. “I was very nervous about it and we wanted to see how her body held up throughout the season before we made the decision, but it’s the event where her heart is.

“And I know she feels she has something to prove in that event – mostly to herself.”

Although Birk-Jarvis has earned All-America honors in both cross country and indoor track since her return to the Cougars’ lineup, she wasn’t considered among the favorites in the steeplechase at the start of the outdoor season, especially with five finalists and four first-team All-Americans returning from last year.

In addition to the presence of two-time champion Allie Ostrander from Boise State, the field only got stronger with the arrival of Israel’s national record holder Adva Cohen at New Mexico after she placed fifth in August at the European Championships in Berlin by clocking 9:29.74.

But Birk-Jarvis, who entered the season with a 9:58.22 personal best from 2017, was unwavering in her pursuit of not only competing in the steeplechase, but challenging herself against the best competitors in the country.

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“I just had to remind myself that I’m a good runner and that the form will come over the hurdles as you continue on in the race,” Birk-Jarvis said. “As I get more experience, then I know I’ll be OK.”

She gained confidence April 18 at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University by winning her first race in the event in two years in 9:55.57, gapping the rest of the field by 18 seconds.

It was that kind of effort that reminded Taylor of how much potential Birk-Jarvis had in the steeplechase. The performance also secured a regional qualifying mark, allowing Birk-Jarvis to focus more on training and less on racing in the five weeks leading up to the most important race of her season in Sacramento.

“A solo 9:55 on a hot Azusa track might not have impressed many people,” Taylor said. “But for a first steeple and going out hard in the mile like she did, it did impress me.”

Birk-Jarvis had the benefit of being matched up in her quarterfinal heat at regionals against Cohen and Colorado senior Val Constien, last year’s fifth-place finisher at nationals.

With all three athletes in position to easily qualify for the national semifinals through six laps, Birk-Jarvis demonstrated her impressive closing speed to surge ahead of Cohen (9:44.41) and Constien (9:44.51), covering the last two laps and barriers in 2:29.3, the fastest final 800 among all regional competitors.

“Because I haven’t run it as much and I’m not as confident as I feel like these other girls are, or at least I don’t think I am, at the end, I was like, ‘OK, I can go and they’re probably going to come with (me), and they did,’” Birk-Jarvis said. “Those girls are really good. I’m really thankful for them that they did push, because they helped all of us run faster, so I was able to find out exactly what I can do. I definitely needed it.”

Ostrander – who is looking to become the first female athlete in Division 1 history to win three straight steeplechase titles – followed Birk-Jarvis’ performance in Sacramento by running 9:40.05 in the next heat, but more than just reaffirming herself as the title favorite, the Boise State junior was also grateful the quality and depth of the event has only gotten stronger this season.

“I feel like the steeplechase is getting faster and faster every year. This year, it took 9:58 to go to nationals after last year it being 10:01, so it’s just been slowly making that progress every year,” Ostrander said. “I think it’s awesome to see that for the event because it drives spectators and it also drives the competitors to do more.”

How much more Birk-Jarvis can improve in Austin remains to be seen.

But after BYU produced a first-team All-American in the women’s steeplechase every year from 2001-08, the Cougars seemed primed to finally end that podium drought, with Birk-Jarvis also in contention to join Elizabeth Jackson (2001), Michaela Manova (2002) and Kassi Andersen (2003) among the program’s national champions.

“It’s something I’m going to have to continue to work on, those last two laps, just getting myself in the mindset of finishing strong,” Birk-Jarvis said. “I do have that speed at the end, I just need to get it into this race.”

And Taylor knows the same tenacity and toughness that helped Birk-Jarvis produce a seventh-place finish at the Division 1 cross country nationals in November, along with a pair of top-five performances at the indoor track finals in March will carry her again in Austin when it matters most.

“We aren’t perfect in the steeple. I know that as a coach. But we aren’t looking for perfect,” Taylor said. “I look for gritty, determined, and passionate – and she feels those things in the steeple.”