Women's Track and Field | February 23

DeKALB, Ill. ­– The Northern Illinois University track & field team heads to Ypsilanti, Michigan for the Mid-American Conference Championships, Friday and Saturday. Events start at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and
9 a.m. on Saturday.
 
The Huskies were ranked fourth in the conference preseason poll to tie last season's school high preseason prediction.
 
"We initially got off to a slow start due to the holiday break, but now we can definitely see ourselves in that fourth position or higher," said NIU head coach Connie Teaberry. "It won't be easy. The other MAC schools are not going to hand it to us. We have to have every athlete ready to go to war."
 
"Due to some exceptional performances throughout the indoor season by our athletes, we have restructured the record book in four events. These records placed these ladies in automatic MAC qualifying status, and has them sitting in great positions headed into the Championships."
 
Four NIU records have been set this seasons between seniors Hope Schmelzle (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) and Alison Olson (New Auburn, Wis./Bloomer) and sophomore Jehvania Whyte (Kingston, Jamaica/Vere Technical). Schmelzle has improved two records she set during her junior season in the 800-meter (2:08.67) and mile (4:39.82) races, while Olson now holds the 1,000-meter race record (2:53.20) and Whyte holds the triple jump record (11.92 meters, 39-01.25).
 
"Ali Olson broke the school record in the 1,000 Meters by over 7 seconds," said Teaberry. "She then went on to run herself into the top three on the MAC indoor performance list in the 800, running a PR 2:08.68. Her partner in crime Hope Schmelzle has been on fire this indoor season setting two school records. Her mile record is not only an impressive MAC time, sitting first, but nationally ranking her at 36^th. Our field eventer Jehvania Whyte set a school record moving her up the MAC automatic qualifying list to fourth. Her leap increased her indoor personal best mark by over 2 feet.
 
"These ladies are just a few that we expect to make magic on the track this weekend. They cannot accomplish the team's goal alone. We have seven other events that the athletes qualified for automatically that we are expecting to produce results with Cheyenne Hoerr in the 400 meters, Kedisha Dallas in the 60 meters, Chennel Palmer in the high jump, Ericka Hibser in the 5k, Remy Amarteifio & Jourdan Doffeny in the 60-meter hurdles, and Hope again in the 3k.
 
"Every athlete competing has a shot to produce points. The team is ready, and it should be an exciting Indoor MAC Championships."
 
To keep up with NIU's progress in the conference championships, follow the Huskies on twitter and Instagram, @NIUXCTrack. Fans can also follow Live Scoring.
 
-NIU-