March 4, 2010

Allendale, Mich. - The Grand Valley State men's and women's track and field teams are sending 20 student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. on March 12-13. The Lakers qualified 15 women and five men in 18 individual events and two relays.

From the women's team, senior Candice Wheat will represent Grand Valley State in the 60-meter hurdles with a qualifying time of 8.51 seconds, last year she placed second in the event. In the 400-meter dash, junior Kayla Vallar will compete for points with a qualifying time of 55.88 seconds, which places her seventh on the qualifying list.

Four Lakers will try and score points in the middle distance events. Sophomore Chanelle Caldwell's time of 2:10.86 and Lauren Bergstrom's time of 2:11.89, qualified them in the 800-meter run, while Monica Kinney and Karie McDonald will compete in the mile run. Kinney's time of 4:53.64 puts her fifth among qualifiers, while McDonald is seventh at 4:54.60.

In the distance events, Megan Maceratini will run in the 5000-meter with a qualifying time of 16:57.69. Maceratini placed ninth last year in the event. GVSU will also send two relay teams to the meet. The 4 x 400-meter relay team of Caldwell, Vallar, Danielle Fonseca, and Jade Hull, heads into the event with the third-best qualifying time (3:45.66). The DMR of Kinney, Vallar, Caldwell, and McDonald, is fourth on the list with a time of 11:45.77.

In the field events, the Lakers are sending six athletes. Senior Maegan Doyen will compete in the high jump (1.72m), in which she placed fifth last year. In the pole vault, GVSU has three athletes competing with sophomore Jocelyn Kuksa taking the fifth spot on the qualifying list (3.90m). Senior Christi Kettlehut is ninth (3.75m) followed by sophomore Emily McKerchie in 12th (3.70m).

Sophomore Lauren Buresh will be the lone athlete competing in the shot put. She is ninth on the qualifying list with a mark of 14.14-meters. Redshirt freshman Liz Murphy holds the top-spot in the weight throw with a distance of 19.10-meters.

On the men's side, Grand Valley State sends five athletes in the field events. Senior Nate Miller is in fifth place in the high jump with a jump of 2.13-meters. Last year at nationals Miller finished third. In the pole vault, the Lakers are sending two athletes. Senior Matt Gordeneer is seventh on the qualifying list (4.96m), followed by junior Quinton Dennis in ninth (4.96m).

GVSU has two athletes qualified in the shot put. Freshman Donny Stiffler is in eighth place with a mark of 17.53-meters, while senior Matt Armstrong is right behind in ninth (17.52m).

For all the information on the 2010 Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships, click on the link below.

2010 Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships