CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Junior Tyler Wetering of the South Dakota Men's Track and Field squad ran a career-best 3:51.52 and qualified for the finals in the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships which began Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.

Wetering of Sioux Falls, S.D., had the sixth-best qualifying time. Aucencio Martinez of Adams State has the top time at 3:50.36. Wetering is the only NCC student-athlete advancing to the finals in the 1,500-meter run, which is set for 6 p.m. (EST) on Saturday.

Also for the Coyote men's team, senior Tony Turgeon of Sioux Falls, S.D., placed 12th in the 10,000-meter run with a clocking of 31:50.23.

Two student-athletes also competed on Thursday for the USD women's track and field squad. Senior Kiki Smith of Wahpeton, N.D., was 13th in the 400-meter hurdles with a clocking of 1:02.19 but did not advance to the finals. Smith finished fourth in her heat.

In the women's 3,000-meter run, senior Amy Lindner of Sioux Falls, S.D., also finished 13th with a time of 10:25.29. Lindner was sixth in her heat of the 3K run.

After three events, Grand Valley State has scored 14 team points to lead the women's team race. USD did not score on day one of the championships. The rest of the top five teams included Angelo State, 11; St. Augustine's, 10; Massachusetts-Lowell, 10; and Clayton State, nine.

Abilene Christian has 18 points to lead the men's team standings. Ashland is second with 14 followed by Morehouse College, 13; Western State, 10; Cal. State-Chico, 10. The USD men did not score on the first day of the meet.