The University of Northern Iowa competed in four events at the first day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships today, with three individuals advancing to finals.

Senior All-American Dirk Homewood (Cedar Falls, Iowa) finished second in his preliminary heat of the 400 meter dash, automatically qualifying for the 400 semi-finals in a time of 46.56. A total of 16 runners advanced to the semis, which begin at 7:25 p.m. Friday night.

Fellow All-American Cody Eichmeier (Ackley, Iowa) leaped 24-4 ½ in the long jump preliminaries to advance to tomorrow's finals. Eichmeier recorded his qualifying mark in his third and final jump of the day, posting the eighth-best distance overall. The top 12 athletes advanced, with Trevell Quinley of Arizona State posting the top mark at 26-1 ½. The finals are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. local time on Thursday evening.

UNI sophomore Jarno Kivioja (proununced: YAR-no Kiv-ee-OH-ha) (Porvoo, Finland) also advanced to the finals of the pole vault, to be held Friday night at 7:25 p.m. Kivioja was one of 13 vaulters to clear 16-10 ¾ to make it out of the preliminaries.

Earlier in the day, UNI's 4x100 relay team of Jamie Goodwin (McKeesport, Pa.), Eichmeier, Dirk Homewood (Cedar Falls, Iowa) and Patrick Hunter (Racine, Wis.) finished fifth in their preliminary heat in a time of 39.91, but did not advance to Friday's finals.

Tomorrow (June 9), in addition to Eichmeier competing in the finals of the long jump, UNI's 4x400 meter relay team of Ryan Kedley (Lowden, Iowa), Eichmeier, Terrance Reid (Davenport, Iowa) and Homewood competes in the preliminaries of that event at 8:40 p.m.