COLLEGEVILLE — One last chance was offered to Krista Snyder.

She took it and made the most of it.

The Moniteau graduate and senior captain of the Ursinus College women’s track and field team held program records there, but had never advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships.

“She’s had such a stellar career here,” Ursinus coach Carl Blickle said. “I wanted her to have another shot at getting there, but I wanted it to be up to her.

“I told Krista there was a meet (Gregory Invitational) coming up near Chicago. If she wanted to go, I would take her there.”

Snyder didn’t think twice. Specializing in the heptathlon, she yearned for an opportunity to challenge herself at the national level.

“I felt like I could have a good meet there,” Snyder said of the Gregory Invitational. “It seemed like everything was coming together for me and I didn’t want my college career to end without taking that final shot.

“I had improved a lot and still felt like I could improve some more.”

The heptathlon is a two-day event that includes the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters.

Snyder wound up with a score of 4,401 at the Gregory Invitational, more than 200 points higher than the score she posted at the Penn Relays shortly beforehand. She improved her personal best in the 100 hurdles to 16.45 seconds, set a personal record of 26.19 in the 200, beat her own school outdoor record in the long jump at 17 feet, 1150 inches and set a personal record in the 800 at 2:23.10.

“It takes an amazing athlete just to be able to do all of those events,” Blickle said. “You have to be able to sprint, run endurance and be strong enough to handle the field events.”

Snyder also had to be strong enough to handle the mental pressure of trying to reach nationals in her final chance.

“It was a chance to prove myself,” she said. “Just try my best, give it my all and see what happens. By Day 2, I knew it was going to be close.

“Going to Chicago, the goal was to qualify. Once that happened, there was still work to do. I don’t feel like I’ve peaked yet, but I’ve come such a long way.”

Snyder said the hurdles have been her biggest challenge in college “because that’s the one event I didn’t do at Moniteau.”

Blickle was happy to hear Snyder still had the desire to improve.

“It was exciting seeing Krista get (to nationals) because it was school history,” the coach said. “But I told her we still wanted to do well. We were going out there to make some noise.”

Snyder became the first Ursinus athlete to ever compete at nationals in multiple events. The Division III Championships took place last week in Waverly, Iowa.

Snyder wound up 21st overall in the heptathlon. She finished no higher than 18th in any of the four events on the first day, but rebounded to place ninth in the long jump, 15th in the javelin and seventh in the 200 on the final day.

Recipient of the Olive Sargeant Hamm Award — given annually to the Ursinus senior woman who exemplifies the best in college life athletically, socially and scholastically — Snyder leaves the school as its record holder in the long jump, outdoor and indoor pentathlon.

She also made all-Mideast Region in the heptathlon and long jump.

“She has a good mind-set and loves competition,” Blickle said. “We could always count on Krista to do the job in many events.”

A neurology major who carried a 3.4 grade point average in college, Snyder is applying for graduate school next year.

And she still plans to stay in competitive shape.

“I can see myself trying a couple of events in adult meets,” she said. “I don’t want to be done yet.”