EUGENE, Ore. - VMI alumnus Donnie Cowart '08 finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Olympic Trials event final, contested Thursday evening at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The former Keydet came on late in the race, earning his fourth-place result with a 8:27.49 time. Unfortunately, that time did not meet the Olympic A mark, so Cowart did not earn one of the alternate Olympic qualification spots. It did, however, cap a season that saw him post his top time on American soil, an 8:26 earlier this month in Indiana, and it also drew the attention of the USATF public relations team, who mentioned him on Twitter as the happiest fourth-place finisher of the meet.