Fayetteville, Ark. - Mari Friedman advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1500 meters on Thursday, highlighting Oregon State's performances on the opening day of women's action at the NCAA West Preliminary Meet at the University of Arkansas.
The junior from Santa Cruz, Calif., placed seventh in the second heat of the 1500 in 4:19.45 and 14th overall after four qualifying heats. She nabbed the final qualifying spot, finishing .16 seconds ahead of the 15th-place woman.
Her time on Thursday was a two-second improvement from her clocking in the finals at the Pac-12 Championships (4:21.