Men's Track and Field | 5/15/2012 2:40:00 PM

May 15, 2012- Emporia State will be sending a total of seven athletes to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships May 24-26 in Pueblo, Colo.  Four women and three men will represent the Hornets in seven different events.

Freshman Sara Dunkin has the top entry mark among the seven Hornets.  She is ranked fifth in the javelin after throwing a school record 149-09 (45.65m) at the ESU Spring Open.  ESU has had six NCAA Division II All-Americans in the women's javelin, including the 1997 national champion Joyce Burnett. Connie Philips is the most recent All-American in the event placing sixth in 2005.

Freshman Carmen King is ranked sixth in the field in the women's 100m.  She ran the second fastest time in ESU history at 11.74 in the MIAA Championships. Courtney Bruna set the school record with an 11.64 to finish fourth at the 2004 NCAA Championships, the only NCAA Division II All-American performance for ESU in the women's 100m.

Katie Mona enters with the 13th ranked time in the 1500m run.  A three-time All-American in the 800m, she will be going for her first All-American honor in the 1500m after running a 4:29.00 at the KU Relays to rank second all-time at ESU. The Hornets have had one other NCAA Division II All-American in the 1500m, Jonel Rossbach placed seventh in 2007.

Deja Jackson rounds out the women's competitors for ESU at the national championships.  She is entered 19th in the discus throw with a mark of 156-08 (47.75m) set at the MIAA Championships.  She is ranked fourth all-time at ESU in an event that has had five NCAA Division II All-Americans, most recently Rachel Goetz fourth place finish in 2004.

Defending national champion Andrew Etheridge is ranked 12th in the 110m hurdles after coming in ranked 17th last season. He ran a season's best 14.09 in the prelims of the MIAA Championships before clipping a hurdle in the finals.  He is one of three Hornets to earn NCAA Division II All-American honors in the event and ranks second all-time at ESU to Dustin Brock's 13.98 set as he finished third at the 2001 national championships.

Vincent Howze will be going for his second All-American honor and his first in the 200m.  He is ranked tenth after running a 21.13 at the MIAA Championships.  He previously earned All-American honors with a seventh place finish in the 400m hurdles at the 2009 national championships. He is fifth all-time at ESU in the 200m.  ESU has had three All-Americans in the outdoor 200m after Josh Schuler placed second last year.

Donald Wilcox will be making his first trip to the outdoor national championships and is ranked tenth in the long jump.  He went 24-06.25 (7.47m) at the MIAA Championships and is ranked fourth all-time at ESU.  The Hornets have had three NCAA Division II All-Americans in the outdoor long jump, most recently Chris Peoples in 2005.

The NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will be held May 24-26 at the Neta and Eddie ReRose Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colo.  ESU will kick things off on Thursday with the finals in the men's long jump and prelims in the women's 100m and 1500m.  The Hornets will compete on Friday in the women's discus finals and prelims in the men's 200m and 110m hurdles.The women's javelin and finals for the running events are on tap for Saturday.