Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—UC Riverside three-time All-American Brenda Martinez took Highlanders nation on the ride of a lifetime this summer in her quest for an Olympic medal, but she finished in 12th place in her semifinal heat Sunday afternoon, and did not advance to Tuesday's final.

Martinez clocked in at 4:10.41, but needed to post a time of 4:05.60 or better to make the finals

Although she came up short this evening, Martinez showed the heart of a champion throughout the summer, battling back from a disappointing finish to the 800m Finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she was tripped with 150m to go (story). Although she was unable to secure a spot on the Olympic Team in that event, she maintained her focus, and made the team in the 1,500m by three hundredths of a second with a last second dive across the finish line (story).

Be sure to show your appreciation for Brenda and all she means for our program and our university by tweeting at her at @bmartrun.