EUGENE, Oregon -- Furman senior Carson Williams concluded his Paladin career by finishing third in the 3,000m Steeplechase finals and capturing his third-career All-American honor in the event Friday at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field.

A native of Raleigh, N.C., Williams worked his way from the middle of the pack to the front and remained among the top three runners throughout the final laps to finish with a time of 8:19.71, knocking five seconds off his previous personal best and setting a new Paladin program record for the second race in a row.  His third place medal marks the highest national finish for a Furman men's outdoor track and field athlete. 

In Wednesday's Steeplechase semifinals, Williams finished second with a time of 8:24.33, besting his former PR of 8:29.29, which he recorded at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.  He advanced out of the NCAA East Preliminaries after posting a time of 8:31.61 for fifth place. 

The top eight finishers in Friday's finals were deemed first team All-Americans, with finishers nine through 12 earning second team All-America accolades.  Honorable mention All-America citations were bestowed on athletes who finished in 17th through 24th place.

Friday's All-American scroll completed a prolific Furman career for Williams, who finished 11th nationally in the Steeplechase in 2023 and 16th in the semifinals in 2022.  He also earned All-American honors in the indoor mile in 2024, where he placed 15th after setting a Paladin program of 3:55.46 to qualify for the NCAA Championship.  Williams advanced individually to the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships and finished 42nd at the 2024 national cross country meet with a PR of 29:26.4.

Furman NCAA Championship Schedule/Results
Wednesday
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Semifinals - Carson Williams - 2nd Place (8:24.33)
Men's 10,000m Finals - Dylan Schubert - 7th Place (29:11.18)

Friday
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Finals - Carson Williams - 3rd Place (8:19.71)