GULF SHORES, Ala. – The two-time defending NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Champion women's track and field team is looking to defend their title and extend the Warriors NAIA record of teams to sweep outdoor titles in consecutive years, after doing it in 2013 and 2014.
 
The Warriors enter the 2015 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium with the second-most individuals qualified with 23, five shy of Oklahoma Baptist's 28. Six of the 23 individuals are previous outdoor All-Americans while three-fourths of last year's 4x100m national champions, Shayla France, Jewel Thomas and Brianna Woods, return to defend their crown in 2015.
 
In the 4x100m relay, a trio of seniors, France, Thomas and Katelyn Lewis, alone with a pair of sophomores, Patricia Thompson and Brianna Woods make up the possible pool for the event as the Warriors are seeded second with a time of 45.97.
 
In the 4x400m relay, three seniors, Chauntiel Smith, France and Cherie Gaines, a trio of sophomores, April Wilson, Brittnee Perry and Woods as well as freshman Ellie Yepez make up the Warriors possible runners in the event where Tech is fourth with a time of 3:46.09.
 
France leads the Warriors with five possible events, including the 100m hurdles where she is the top seed with a time of 13.60. In the 200m, she is the fourth seed (24.14) and in the 100m she is 11th with a seed time of 11.91. Three other Warriors, Thomas, Thompson and Woods will double in the 100m and 200m. Thomas is seeded sixth (11.77) and seventh (24.29), Thompson is 10th (11.89) and eighth (24.35) while Woods is ninth (11.87) and sixth (24.23), respectively.
 
Lewis and Perry will also compete in the 100m where they are eighth (11.82) and 13th (11.96), respectively. Junior Tyra Cooper will join five others in the 200m where she is the 10th seed with a 24.50. Senior Andrea Ford (2nd, 13.84) and a pair of freshmen, Eriona Ballard (33rd, 14.97) and Jaquel Taylor (9th, 14.31) will join France in the 100m hurdles.
 
Smith, a senior, and Wilson, a sophomore will represent the Orange and Black in the 400m where they are seeded 11th (56.48) and 12th (56.67). In the 800m, Gaines looks to end her career with a strong showing in the 800m where she is 12th with a time of 2:11.72. A trio of Warriors will compete in the 3000m Steeplechase, led by the events sixth seed, senior Laura Condron (10:59.17). Junior Tiffany Rauch is seeded eighth (11:05.07) and sophomore Kerigan Riley is 11th (11:07.36).
 
Four freshmen will dawn the Orange and Black in the pole vault, led by Carly Schmidt who enters as the top seed with a height of 3.99m. Lindsey Sechrist is seeded seventh (3.70m) while Anh Pham and LaTonya Wilson are tied for 18th at 3.50m. The final qualifier for the Warriors is senior Ashley Watley who looks to earn All-American honors for the third consecutive season in the long jump where she is seeded 15th (5.66m).
 
The event begins at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21 with the Heptathlon while women's hammer throw begins at 10 a.m. and the 4x100m relay prelims kick off track events at 2:30 p.m. For more information including schedule of events, live results and live video, visit www.indianatechwarriors.com/championshipcentral.
 
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Track & Field Contact: Zachary Shore | 260-422-5561 Ext. 2492 | zrshore@indianatech.edu
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