By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

LA CROSSE, WIS. -- Four Willamette University athletes will be in action on Thursday, May 23 during the first day of the 2013 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, held at Roger Harring Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Carson Kennedy (So., Forest Grove, OR/Forest Grove HS) will begin the day for Willamette when the decathlon gets underway at 2:30 p.m. CDT/12:30 p.m. PDT. Kennedy's career-best score was set earlier this season with 6,283 points.

The first five events of the decathlon -- the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter dash -- will be completed on Thursday.

Action in the final five events -- the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1,500-meter run -- will be on Friday, May 24, starting at 2 p.m. CDT/12 p.m. PDT.

Each event in the decathlon will feature all 20 national qualifiers and will be followed by a 30-minute break prior to the next event. As a result, only the first event each day in the decathlon has a predetermined start time.

Later Thursday afternoon, Kit Kingstad (Jr., Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS) will participate for the Bearcats in the first of two preliminary heats of the men's 1,500-meter run, set for 4:45 p.m. CDT/2:45 p.m. PDT. Kingstad's top time in competition so far this season is 3:48.53, which established a personal record.

The top four finishers in each preliminary heat, plus the runners with the next four fastest times, will advance to the finals. The championship race in the 1,500-meter run will be held on Saturday, May 25 at 3 p.m. CDT/1 p.m. PDT.

Kingstad is competing at the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row. He took 16th place in the 1,500 last season.

Michaela Freeby (So., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) and Taylor Ostrander (Fr., Soldotna, AK/Kenai Central HS) of WU will both compete Thursday evening in the second of two heats in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. The first heat is scheduled for 7:50 p.m. CDT/5:50 p.m. PDT, with the second heat to follow.

Freeby reached the national meet with a personal record time of 10:37.91, while Ostrander recorded a personal record time of 11:02.01.

The finals of the steeplechase are scheduled for Saturday at 1:45 p.m. CDT/11:45 a.m. PDT. The first five runners in each preliminary heat, along with the athletes earning the next four fastest times, will reach the finals.

Freeby is at the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. In 2012, she finished in 13th place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.