March 3, 2008

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Complete schedule of events (tentative) | click here
Men's Championship information | click here
Women's Championship information | click here

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  - The 43rd Annual Men's and 28th Annual Women's NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships are right around the corner and last from March 6-8 in Johnson City, Tenn. It will be the eighth straight year that the Johnson City Convention and Visitor's Bureau will play host at the Mini Dome inside the Memorial Center. This Championship is action-packed with nearly 1,000 student-athletes from 105 schools across the U.S. and Canada competing in 42 different events contested in three days.

"We are back in Johnson City for the eighth consecutive year because of the tremendous efforts by the Chamber of Commerce and the championship team they have assembled with partners like Milligan College, Eastern Tennessee State University, the Carnegie Hotel and local businesses like Sun Trust and McDonalds," said Ruth Stein, Manager of Championship Sports. "Hosting a national championship is a huge undertaking, and this Johnson City team goes the extra mile to make NAIA Indoor Track and Field truly a first-class event."

Last year, Azusa Pacific (Calif.) claimed its fifth overall men's championship and fourth in the last six years. APU will turn to junior NAIA All-American Aron Rono, the 2007 Most Outstanding Meet Performer. Rono is the defending champion in the 5,000-meter and 1-mile runs as well as a member of the top distance medley relay team. This year, he is listed first on the entry list in the 3,000-meter and 1 mile runs. Oklahoma Baptist and Dickinson State (N.D.) will put the pressure on this year as OBU was the 2007 runner-up while Dickinson State finished third.

On the women's side, Oklahoma Baptist looks to defend its title but has to look out for contenders such as 2007 runners-up Wayland Baptist (Texas) and Simon Fraser (B.C.), which took third. WBU boasts three top performers on the official entry list including freshman Kimberly Smith in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. Simon Fraser's Ruky Abdulai, who was the 2007 Most Outstanding Meet Performer, returns as the three-time national champion in the high jump. On the official entry list, the senior sits first in the high jump, first in the long jump and second in the 60-meter dash.

Action begins on Thursday, March 6 with the men's heptathlon beginning at 1 p.m. local time and the women's pentathlon at 1:30 p.m. The running events kick off with the relays on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. Friday covers both running and field events while the Championship ceremonies begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The 2008 awards ceremony will occur at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.