DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's track and field team travels to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 26-27) for the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Central Michigan. 

Competition in the women's championship will begin at 3 p.m. CT on Friday (Feb. 26) with the weight throw and the 60-meter hurdles in the pentathlon. On Saturday (Feb. 27), women's events also begin at 3 p.m. CT with the triple jump and the first event on track is the mile at 3:25 p.m. CT.

Last season, NIU recorded its best finish at the MAC Indoor Championships as it finished in second place with 102 points, just two points behind conference champion Eastern Michigan. 

Junior Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) returns as the defending conference champion in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and is ranked first in both events this season. Tutt ran a school-record time of 16:01.26 at the Iowa State Classic (Feb. 12) in the 5,000, which ranks 15th nationally in the event, and her time of 9:31.86 at the GVSU Mike Lints Alumni Open (Jan. 23) is also a conference-best and ranks in the top-60 nationally. 

Junior Kimone Hines (Hanover, Jamaica/Southern-New Orleans) also sits among the league's best in a pair of events. Her time of 24.42 in the 200-meter dash set at the GVSU Big Meet (Feb. 12) is the fastest by a MAC runner and she is also ranked second in the 60 meters with her time of 7.54 seconds at the GVSU Snowdown Showdown (Feb. 5). A transfer from Southern-New Orleans, Hines will be competing at the MAC Championships for the first time. 

In the mile, senior Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) has run the fastest time in the MAC this season, clocking in at 4:47.42 at the Iowa State Classic (Feb. 13). Callahan also has the fourth-fastest time in the conference in the 800 meters at 2:13.37. 

NIU also goes into the conference meet with the fastest runner in the 400 meters where sophomore Jahnetta Jones (Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville) has paced the field in the MAC this season. Jones ran a time of 56.28 seconds at the GVSU Snowdown Showdown on February 5. 

Live video of the championship will be available on CMUChippewas.com.