By Robert McKinney and Christopher Sabato, Athletics Communications

CANTON, N.Y. --On the first day of competition at 2015 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 21, three Bearcats qualified for the finals of their respective events at Merrick-Pinkard Track on the campus of the St. Lawrence University.

The first event of the day for the Bearcats was the women's 1,500-meter run. Olivia Mancl (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) finish fifth in the second heat with a time of 4:33.48. The top four in each of the two heats plus the next four fastest times advanced to the final. Mancl was the first non-automatic qualifier to head into the final.

Mancl will compete in the final of the women's 1,500-meter run on Saturday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m.EDT / 10:30 a.m. PDT.

In the first heat of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) easily qualified for the final, finishing second in 10:42.61. The top five in each heat and the next four fastest times advanced to the final. Freeby enters the final with the top time in the nation this year at 10:30.09.

In heat two, Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) finished seventh in 11:02.80, good enough for the last spot in the final. Her preliminary time was 20 seconds slower than her best of 10:40.86.

Also in heat two, Hannah Bressler (Jr., Oak Harbor, WA/Oak Harbor HS),in her first appearance at the NCAA Championships, finished with a time of 11:40.82. She failed to qualify for the final, but finished the season 21st in the country.

Freeby and Ostrander will compete in the final of the womens 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EDT / 9:30 a.m. PDT. Freeby will be participating in the steeplechase final for the third time in four years. Ostrander will be making her second consecutive appearance in the final. Freeby's top finish so far was fourth in 2013, while Ostrander placed 11th in 2014.