PITTSBURG — The 2022 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships open Friday (Mar. 11) at the Robert W. Plaster Center on the Pittsburg State University campus and continues through Saturday (Mar. 12).

Friday's action gets under way at 10 a.m. with the start of the men's heptathlon action. The final scheduled event Friday is the women's distance medley relay set for 7 p.m. On Saturday, the competition starts with the women's pentathlon at 10 a.m. and the championships culminate later that evening with the women's 4x400m relay slated as the last event at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the national championships are $20 for an adult two-day pass or $15 for an adult single-day pass. Student-child (3-17) and college student (with College ID) single-day passes are $10. Children two & under are free.
 
This will be the fourth time in the last seven years that the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships have been held at the Robert W. Plaster Center (2016, 2018, 2019).

Ashland is the defending NCAA Division II Indoor Men's Track & Field National Champion. The Eagles scored 70 points last year to hold off national runner-up Grand Valley State, which compiled 53 points. West Texas A&M (39), Lee (34) and Pittsburg State (30) rounded out the top five men's squads.
 
Pitt State is the No. 1 ranked men's team in the USTFCCCA national poll entering the national championships. Grand Valley State is ranked second, followed by West Texas A&M, Colorado Mines and Central Missouri.

Grand Valley State is the defending NCAA Division II Indoor Women's Track & Field National Champion. The Lakers scored 93 points to capture the national title. Minnesota State (40), West Texas A&M (37), Central Missouri (36.5), and Saginaw Valley State (35) rounded out the top five women's squads. Pitt State tied for 10^th place with 19 points.
 
The women's top-five ranked teams entering the national championships are:  Minnesota State, Grand Valley State, Adams State, Azusa Pacific and West Texas A&M. Pitt State is ranked No. 7.

Gorillas Primed for Championships Experience
Twenty-one Pitt State track & field athletes qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships —13 men and eight women.
 
Senior Trey Mooney and freshman L.J. Kiner lead the Pitt State men. Mooney enters the national meet ranked No. 1 in the heptathlon (5,614 pts), while Kiner is ranked No. 1 in the triple jump (52-6.75) and No. 12 in the long jump (24-6.25). The 4x400m relay of Sam Tudor, Bailey Stone, Nizar Alarahshun and Braylen Brewer also enters the meet with the top ranked time (3:09.19). Brewer also qualified second in the 400 meters (46.33) and fourth in the 200 meters (21.16), while Alarahshun qualified fifth (47.43) and Tudor qualified 12^th (47.71) in the 400m.

Hunter Jones qualified third fourth in the high jump (7-1) and sixth in the decathlon (5412 pts). Mason Strader enters the meet ranked third in the mile run (3:58.47) and he will run the anchor leg for the No. 3 ranked distance medley relay (9:37.45) along with teammates Bryce Grahn, Brewer and Connar Southard. Konner Swenson qualified eighth in the shot put (59-11) and T.J. Caldwell also qualified 12^th in the 60 meter hurdles (7.96).

Senior Trace Mosby leads the Pitt State women's contingent. Mosby enters the national meet ranked No. 1 in the pentathlon (4122 pts) and No. 6 in the 60m hurdles (8.50). Senior Christine Williams also qualified No. 1 in the 200 meters (23.73), while freshman Isabelle Peters (13-7.75) and sophomore Kyle Davis (13-7.75) are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the pole vault.

Freshman Blakelee Winn is ranked fifth in the pentathlon (3850 pts) and 16^th in the long jump19-3.25), while sophomore Madelyn Marquez is ranked 19^th in the 60m hurdles (8.63). The 4x400m rely of Matti Price, Olivia Lowery, Williams and Mosby qualified 12^th(3:46.73).