DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University women's track and field team will host the 2024 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships this Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11, at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex. 

Tickets for the championships are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com, with three-day passes available for $27 and single day tickets just $12. Tickets will also be available during each day of the championships at the entrance at the northwest corner of the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex. 

Fans attending the track and field championships are asked to park in lot PS, directly north of the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex. All Convocation Center parking lots, including lot C3, directly west of the complex, will be in use for NIU Commencement Ceremonies. 

"We are extremely excited to be hosting the 2024 Outdoor MAC Championships," said NIU Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry. "Our team is thrilled, and it is nice to be at home where our administrators, family and friends can watch us compete at this high level."

Among the Huskies to watch, Arianna Calloway (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) enters the weekend ranked fourth in the conference in the high jump with a top mark of 1.74 meters (5-08.50) this season. During the indoor season, Calloway broke the NIU indoor high jump record by clearing 1.80 meters (5-10.75). Kamiya Dendy (Anderson, S.C./Auburn) is seventh in the MAC in the high jump this spring, having cleared 1.71 meters (5-07.25). 

Jazmyn Smith (Pinecrest, Fla./Gulliver Prep) is one of three Huskies in the top-12 in the league in the long jump, ranking fourth. Henriette Halwas (Knittlingen, Germany/Lindsey Wilson) is ranked ninth in the long jump while Xiomara Malone (Orlando, Fla./Utah State) is ranked 12th.

NIU also has a pair of student-athletes ranked in the top-15 in the MAC in the triple jump as Kendal Only (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) is ninth and Aniya Barton (Lansing, Ill./Thornton Fractional South) is 14th. Malia Watkins (Upper Marlboro, Md./Missouri State) is ranked in the top-15 in a pair of sprints as she ranks 11th in the 100 meters and 12th in the 200 meters. 

This year's championship marks the first time that NIU has hosted the MAC outdoor meet since 2011 and Teaberry is looking forward to welcoming the conference to DeKalb. 

"Our administration and staff have put a lot of work in to make sure this competition is run at the highest level," said Teaberry. "For us, this is a premier event, and we are grateful to be hosting. We are very excited; in my 20 years this is just our second time hosting and it's great to have our team able to compete at home."

Ball State is the defending women's champion in the MAC Outdoor Championships while Akron claimed the men's title last spring. NIU finished fifth at last year's conference outdoor championships, scoring 76 points, the Huskies have finished in the top-five in six of the last eight MAC Outdoor Championships.