BRADENTON, Fla. – Day one of the 2017 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships went just as planned for the two Western Oregon runners featured in the men's 1,500-meter preliminary races.
 
David Ribich and Dustin Nading both qualified for Saturday's 1,500m finals with great performances in their individual qualifying heats.
 
Ribich sprinted to the front of the field from the outside and led after the opening 300m. He slipped back to the pack halfway through, but moved back up front in the final 400 meters to win the heat with a time of 3:51.85.
 
Nading, from starting well on the inside, also sprinted out to an early lead, clocking his first 300 meters at 47.43 seconds. Similarly to Ribich, Nading was in the main leading group at the 1,100-meter mark and cleared the fourth qualifying spot in the faster of the two heats with a time of 3:50.76.
 
Both All-Americans in the mile at the Indoor National Championships, Ribich and Nading will attempt to repeat the feat in the outdoor finals on Saturday, May 27 at 2:45 p.m. Pacific time.
 
Friday's schedule for Western Oregon athletes begins a 1:45 p.m. PT when Wesley Gray competes in the finals of the triple jump. Megan Rose, Olivia Woods and Suzanne Van De Grift run in the preliminary heats of the women's 800m at 3:05 p.m. PT.