Queenslanders Montanna McAvoy and Brielle Erbacher have qualified for the final of the 3000m steeplechase on July 13.

Both athletes posted personal bests time as McAvoy, who finished second, broke the 10-minute barrier for the first time in her heat with a 9:59.67 while Erbacher finished fourth in her heat and had to wait to see if she qualified for the final but her time of 10:09.43 secured the final non-automatic qualifying time.

McAvoy consolidates here position at number four on the Australian U20 all-time list as she became just the 13th Australian to break 10 minutes.

“With 800m to go I was feeling the legs but I knew I needed top 3 so I had to push right to the end,” she told Athletics Australia.

“To be in a final I am stoked. That was my goal. In the final I am going to give it everything to do another PB,” she said.

Jemima Russell made her international debut in the 800m heats. She sat in the middle of the pack but as the tempo lifted in the last lap she finished fourth in the automatic qualifying spot. 

Carley Thomas, who won the Australian Trials, showed she is in great form finishing second in heat two with a time of 2:08.57.

“I just wanted to go out and get through it and not run a race that was too crazy,” Thomas said. 

“It was awesome so I’m happy,” she said.

The semi-finals will be run early tomorrow morning AEST with both aiming for the final on July 12 and they will both also run the 4x400m relay.