Competing at the 2008 KCAC Track & Field Championships at Friends University in Wichita, KS, on May 2-3, members of the women's team set two meet records and won four individual events.  All in all, 16 men and women earned KCAC All-Conference Honors or Honorable Mention Honors in several events. The women finished 4th overall in the team standings with 88 points, while the men finished 8th with 10.5.

Results  -  Qualifying Standards  -  2008 NAIA National Outdoor Performance Lists

Leading the way for the women as a double event winner was junior Jessica Becker of Capitan, NM, who set a new KCAC Championship record in the shot put with 48-08.00 and won the discus with 133-06.00.

Also setting a meet record was sophomore Michelle Baltimore of Yuma, AZ, in the hammer as she improved her personal best by a little more than 10 feet with 154-06.00 which also met the NAIA "A" Standard.  Baltimore was also runner-up in the discus with 132-01.00. 

Joining these three women with KCAC All-Conference Honors were:  sophomore Amber Dunham of Independence, KS, who was 2nd in the shot put with personal record and improved "A" mark of 45-03.25 and 3rd in the javelin with 121-01.00;  and senior Anna Miller of Blue Rapids, KS, who was 2nd in the hammer with 146-08.00 and 3rd in the discus with 130-10.00.

Women who earned KCAC Honorable Mention Honors were:  sophomore Gilda Alvarez of Yuma, AZ, who was 4th in the shot put with a personal best 40-08.00; senior Leah Clay of Lawrence, KS, who was 5th in the 400m hurdles with a personal best 1:11.54; sophomore Krystal Fletcher of Topeka, KS, who was 4th in the hammer with a personal best 139-06.00; freshman Jaci Kepler of Bassett, NE, who was 5th in the 100m hurdles with a personal best 17.42; Miller who was 6th in the shot put with 39-02.00; and freshman Morgan Salter of Holcomb, KS, who was 6th in the 5000m run with 20:49.12.

For the men, KCAC Honorable Mention Honors were earned in 6 events, highlighted by the performances in the 4 x 400m relay and the 800m run.

In the 4 x 400m relay, freshman Nick O'Loughlin of Hugoton, KS, junior James Bowden of Salina, KS, freshman Jesse Muntz of Dexter, KS, and junior Hugo Escobar of Emporia, KS, finished 4th overall with a time of 3:24.62, nearly seven seconds faster than the previous season best time.  Meanwhile, in the 800m run, Escobar finished 5th in the 800m run with a personal best 1:59.93.

Other individuals who earned KCAC Honorable Mention Honors were junior Nhial Malia of Highlands, TX, who was 6th in the 10,000m run with a personal best 36:03.35; Muntz who was tied for 6th in the high jump with 6-0; and O'Loughlin who was 6th in the 400m dash with a 51.48.

The men's 4 x 800m relay team of Malia, Bowden, junior Phil Elbein of Overaland Park, KS, and Escobar also earned KCAC Honorable Mention Honors with a 5th place finish of 8:43.21, which equaled the season best time.

In preparation for the NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Edwardsville, IL, several athletes will be competing at the Swede Last Chance Twilight at Anderson Track & Field Complex on May 8 and the ESU Last Chance Twilight at Emporia, KS, on May 10.  Athletes will try to improve their national rankings or qualify for the first time.