Lexi Williams is the last University of Minnesota Duluth athlete still competing in 2011-12 and Friday night the senior distance runner lived for another day by qualifiying for the 800-meter finals at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Pueblo, Colo.

Williams, who was making her first appearance ever in a national track event, punched her ticket to Saturday evening's final (7:55 p.m. CST) by placing eighth among 18 individuals with a time of 2:10.72. Amanda Putt, a junior from Hillsdale College, took top honors, finishing in 2:09.63 while Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference colleague Melissa Agnew from the University of Mary (fifth place at 2:09.98) also made the cut.