From Washington University Athletics

An All-American finish by junior David O'Gara highlighted day one of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio on Thursday, while the women's 4x400m-relay team concluded the day with a school record and first place finish during prelims.

O'Gara ran to a sixth place finish in the 10,000m run to get the WashU men off to a great start. He earned three points with a career-best finish of 30:15.79. O'Gara is the first Bear to earn an All-American finish in the 10K since Drew Padgett in 2014.

The 4x400m-relay team ran to a school record time and the sixth best time in Division III history, 3:42.60. Senior Rebecca Ridderhoff ran the opening leg before passing the baton onto senior Kelli Hancock, who sprinted to the Bears lead. Senior Kelli Hancock passed the baton onto senior Ashley Knudson as she continued to pull away from the field before Ogede closed out the record time.

Sophomore Heidi Nassos competed in the pole vault finals placing eleventh for the women, also setting a new personal-best by clearing 3.80-meters. The Wheaton, Ill.-native did so in her first attempt.

Freshman Nick Matteucci placed fourth in heat number one to qualify for the finals in the 1,500m with a time of 3:49.92.

Hancock and Ridderhoff, also won their respective heats and finished first and second in the 400m hurdle prelims. Hancock posted a time of 1:00.11 and Ridderhoff finished in 1:00.74.

Ogede also solidified her place in the 200m finals on Saturday with the fourth fastest time in the prelims, 24.51.

Both junior Alison Lindsay and sophomore Abby Martin were able to secure spots in the women's 3,000m steeplechase finals with qualifying finishes during prelims on Thursday. Lindsay placed fourth in her heat with a time of 10:58.44, while Martin's 10:57.57 earned seventh place in her heat.