BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Juniors David Ribich and Suzanne Van De Grift highlighted a spectacular first day of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championship on Thursday, with Ribich setting the top qualifying time in the men's mile and Van De Grift grabbing back a school record while all five Western Oregon  that competed on the day advanced to Saturday finals at the Birmingham Crossplex.
 
Ribich and sophomore Dustin Nading will both compete in the final after running the fastest and ninth-fastest times respectively. Ribich paced the faster first prelim heat winning in a time of 4:05.12, his second-fastest mark of the season. Nading advanced to Saturday's final finishing second behind the defending national champion (Oliver Aitchison of Adams State) with a time of 4.11.92. Both are expected to run Friday in the Distance Medley relay final for WOU.
 
Josh Dempsey, another member of the Wolves' DMR team, qualified for the 800-meter final in 1:52.36 finishing second among the 16 qualifying runners.
 
Western Oregon also got both of their female runners from Thursday into the Saturday finals in the 800 meters. Van De Grift regained the Western Oregon school record in the third heat with a time of 2:09.63. Sophomore Olivia Woods grabbed her spot in the first heat finishing second in a time of 2:10.45, just off her personal best set at the SPU Final qualifier (2:10.14).
 
Western Oregon's only event on Friday is the men's DMR, scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. Pacific (4:15 p.m. Pacific) with Nading, AJ Holmberg, Dempsey and Ribich looking for a national title after posting the nation's fastest time of 9:45.45 on at the UW Invitational on Jan. 27.