Steeplechaser Mason Ferlic shoots for the stars on the track and in his field as aerospace engineer

By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Steeplechase runner Mason Ferlic is taking aim at the stars both on the track and in his field. Ferlic’s focus was on the U.S. Olympic Trials, but a tweaked hamstring kept him out of his first-round heat in the steeplechase. Tumbles, plunges and injuries happen, especially in the 3,000-meter race that includes 28 unforgiving jumps over four fixed barriers and seven leaps over a water pit. Each time he’s fallen, he’s picked himself up and only gotten better. He’s already setting his sights on the world championships next season. Down the road, the 30-year-old with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering has his sights set on possibly becoming an astronaut.