By ARTHUR L. MACK

 

            Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores , Alabama will be the setting for the 63^rd annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

            Over 150 men’s and women’s programs will participate in the three-day event, and will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday with the men’s decathlon.

            Pre-meet favorites on the men’s and women’s field are last year’s men and women’s champion, Indiana Tech, and runner-up Oklahoma Baptist.

            In last year’s men’s championships, Indiana Tech defeated Oklahoma Baptist by four points, so there should be a close battle this year. Indiana Tech’s Warriors are led by freshman Ina-Oluwa Oye, who has the top-seeded time in the 200-meter dash (20.94 seconds).

            Indiana Tech also comes in with the top-seeded 4 X 400-meter relay team (3:06.80) and the second-seeded 4 X 100-meter relay (40.43).

            Oklahoma Baptist is led by 400-meter runner Travis Hinton (47.21) and 800-meter runner Jywayne Allen (1:51.03). Oklahoma Baptist also has the top seeded 4 X 800-meter relay team (7:32.00).

            Other teams to watch on the men’s side are Concordia ( Nebraska ), Wayland Baptist, Dickinson State (N.D.), and Doane. 

On the women’s side, there should be a battle between Indiana Tech and Oklahoma Baptist, as Indiana Tech has a total of 26 athletes. Doane ( Nebraska ) has 23 athletes on the women’s side and is a two-time national champion, but has not won a national title since 2002, so expect it to come into the meet hungry for more hardware.

            Oklahoma Baptist sophomore Akela Jones is expected to have a fine showing. Jones, who was the Outstanding Female Performer in last year’s national championships after winning the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, and long jump, comes into this weekend’s championships with the top-seeded time in the 100-meter hurdles (13.49), and the long jump (20 feet, 2 ½ inches), and the second-best seeded clearance in the high jump (5-9 ¾ ).

Jones is expected to be faced with a challenge in the high jump from Westmont ’s Becky Collier (5-10) and Tess Odegard of Cornerstone (5-8 ¾).  As for the long jump, the nearest challenger appears to be Doane’s Lauren Baird (19-5 ¼).

Oklahoma Baptist also has a strong sprinter in Jura Levy, who has the top seeded times in the 100 (11.43) and 200 (23.38). She is also part of the top-seeded 4 X 100-meter relay, which has run 45.52.

Indiana Tech, though, also has a strong 4 X 100-meter relay team as well. It comes in with a seeded time of 45.64). In addition, the Warriors have a powerful hurdling contingent in juniors Andrea Ford and Shayla France, and senior Zalika Dixon. All three have run strong times in the 100-meter hurdles. Dixon also has the top-seeded time in the 400-meter hurdles (58.34).