DES MOINES, Iowa - Dacia Barr ran out of early trouble and put herself in position to make a run at the national title.

Barr, a senior from Austin, Texas, cruised to an easy third-place finish in the qualifying round of the 1, 500-meter run Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Barr advanced to the final, which will be at 4: 12 p.m. Saturday at Drake Stadium.

Arkansas junior Denise Bargiachi finished 19 th in the 10, 000, the only scoring event in which the Lady Razorbacks had an entry. Bargiachi finished in 35 minutes, 41. 98 seconds.

Barr found herself in a tenuous position in the first 400 meters, boxed behind a gaggle of runners and running four-wide. She sped up and passed the group on the outside and tucked in behind early-race leader Lauren Hagans of Baylor.

"I know how to get myself out of certain boxes," Barr said. "I knew I had to get up there or I'd be in trouble later. I had to use a little energy then or get worse later."

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Defending national champion Brie Felnagle of North Carolina won the heat in 4: 15. 56 seconds. Barr, fifth last year, finished in 4: 15. 73.

"I was a little nervous, but that had to do with the national atmosphere," Barr said. "It's hard in these national races because everyone is so good. Everyone is so used to getting up front. It's usually a bit of fighting to get that good position."

Arkansas Coach Lance Harter said the early move was proof of Barr's experience and poise. Harter said Barr had confidence she could do the move and then settle back into her race form.

"She seems to be adding weapons to her arsenal," Harter said. "If she can keep her wits about her [in the final ], it will be very much in her favor."

The bunched-up early racing was not the style Barr prefers. Barr would like a hard early pace that gives her the advantage with her endurance training.

"That's not her ideal racing format, to say the least," Harter said. "We thought we'd try to make a move a little earlier."

Barr surged into the lead with 300 meters remaining and held on to third to claim one of four automatic spots in the final. She said she got a little worried the last 100 meters when the pack charged down the stretch.

"I was a little nervous when I saw all these girls come up on my shoulder," Barr said.

Harter said he didn't expect the first heat to be the faster of the two heats. That thinking made it seem imperative that Barr earn an automatic spot.

"We kept preaching, 'Make sure you get an automatic,'" Harter said.

Barr said she felt strong and would be ready to go in the final after resting today. She'll face a talented field in the final that includes Felnagle, SEC champion Sarah Bowman of Tennessee and six-time national champion Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech.

Bowman finished fourth in Barr's heat but has beaten Barr twice in the SEC meet, including this year. Barr beat Bowman in the Mideast Regional.

Kipyego, normally a 5, 000 and 10, 000 runner, finished second in her heat in 4: 17. 48.

Bargiachi, 22 nd a year ago, seemed to be comfortably in seventh place after 5, 000 meters in her race. She grabbed a cup of water on the back stretch and drank some but choked briefly on it.

The incident knocked her out of her stride and she never recovered, fading steadily from seventh to the back of the pack.

"It's like her legs locked up," Harter said. "When that happens to Denise, it's like she's dancing along."

Senior Makeatha Cooper failed to advance out of the first round in the 100 hurdles. Cooper ran 13. 53 in her heat and finished 17 th overall, one place out of today's semifinal. Cooper's time was. 13 seconds slower than the 16 th-best time, LSU's Angel Boyd's 13. 40.

The Lady Razorbacks' 1, 600 relay team finished fourth in its heat in 3: 36. 06 and failed to advance to the eight-team final. Arkansas finished 14 th overall.