May 27, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - TaKarra Dunning and Whitney Hartman will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the 2008 NCAA Mideast Regionals, hosted by the University of Arkansas this weekend (May 30-31). Dunning will compete in the shot put, while Hartman will participate in the hammer throw.

Dunning, a junior from Kalamazoo, Mich., has consistently been the Falcons' top competitor in the shot put throughout the season. The junior ranks 68th in the region, but is coming off her best performance of the season at the Mid-American Conference Championships last week, finishing fourth with a season-best mark of 48-11.

She also has three first-place finishes on the season, capturing the Toledo Invitational (48-07.25), Len Paddock Invitational (47-10.50) and the Miami Team Challenge (47-06.50).

Hartman, like Dunning, is coming off her best performance of the season, finishing second at the MAC Championships in the hammer throw with a mark of 191-07, surpassing her previous best by over eight feet. The Bowling Green, Ohio, native ranks 35th in the region in the hammer throw.

The junior has three first-place finishes during the outdoor campaign, capturing the Toledo Invitational (182-07), Len Paddock Invitational (182-06) and the Miami Team Challenge (181-04).

The top five individuals of each event automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships, while another four will be chosen by the longest marks throughout the four regions.