Algonquin's Evan Jager Qualifies for Olympic Finals in Steeplechase

UPDATE: Evan Jager qualified for the Olympic finals in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing with the second-fastest time during the preliminary race Friday, according to the NBC Olympics results page. 

Jager finished second in his heat with a time of 8 minutes, 16.61 seconds. He needed to finish in the top four to advance to the finals. 

The finals are scheduled for Sunday at 9:25 p.m. in London, which is 3:25 p.m. here.

The above information was updated at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 3.

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The time has come for to show the world what he is made of.

Jager will compete in the prelims for the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday at the Olympics in London. The top finishers will qualify for the finals on Sunday. 

The preliminary race in London begins at 1 p.m. Friday, which is 7 a.m. here. Jager is in the first heat, facing 12 other runners. There are two other heats tomorrow as well, each with 13 competitors vying for a chance to be in the finals.

The final steeplechase race is scheduled for Sunday at 9:25 p.m. in London, which is 3:25 p.m. here.

For those able to view the race live or catch clips of it later, Jager will be running in the first heat Friday and will be wearing bib number 3223. For more information about the steeplechase and streaming the Olympics, visit the NBC Olympics website.

Jager is also hard to miss. While most male runners typically opt for very short hair, Jager has thick, shoulder-length hair that he keeps out of his face with a sweatband, according to the Daily Herald. 

Despite urging from his coach, Jager did not cut his long locks for the Olympics, according to the Daily Herald.

Jager's dad (Joel), mother (Cathy) and sister (Mallory) will be in the stands cheering for him Friday, according to the Northwest Herald. 

Jager Sets North American Record in Steeplechase

In recent weeks, Jager set the North American record in his first international steeplechase race at the Herculis meet in Monaco on July 20 with a time of 8 minutes 6.81 seconds, according to NBC Chicago. 

An impressive feat, especially since Jager is essentially a newcomer to the steeplechase, which is a race consisting of 28 hurdle jumps and seven water jumps. In a July 17 article, Evan Jager told Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Patch he had only competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase four times. 

Still, the competition will be tough at the Olympics. Brimin Kipruto holds the fastest personal time of all Olympian steeplechase competitors this year at 7:53.64. This is the African Record, which he broke back in Monaco in 2011.

Kipruto is not running in Jager's heat Friday. There are three other runners in his heat with faster personal best times than Jager, according to the NBC Olympics' start list. 

Kyle Acorn and Donn Cabral will also be representing the United States in the preliminary steeplechase races on Friday.