EUGENE, Ore. – University of Maine junior Dereck Treadwell of Milford qualified for the men’s 1,500-meter final at the NCAA Track and Field Championships Thursday night.

Treadwell registered a personal-best and school-record time of 3 minutes, 42.14 seconds in finishing sixth in the first heat. He was one of 12 qualifiers for Saturday’s 9:05 p.m. EDT final.

The top eight U.S.-born finishers in the final will earn All-American status.

Treadwell’s previous best was 3:43.56 which earned him second place in the IC4A Championships at Fairfax, Va., two weekends ago.

Treadwell’s time was not far off the best qualifying time of 3:41.48 turned in by Jon Wild of Oklahoma State University.

Former Old Town High standout Treadwell is the first male athlete from the University of Maine to compete in the NCAA outdoor track and field championships since George Marsanskis qualified in the hammer throw in 1948.

Former Maine cross country and track runner Charla Harrie of Sanford, who transferred to Auburn University a few years ago, failed to qualify in the women’s 1,500 as she clocked a 4:30.81 to finish 11th in her heat.