May 24, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa - Four Lamar University track athletes will take on the top individuals in the Region this weekend, when they hit the track in Des Moines, Iowa for the Midwest Regional Championship hosted by Drake University in Drake Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

Renee Graham, Amanda King and Clerc Koenck will represent the Lamar women at the regional, while Francis Kasagule will run for the Cardinal men.

The top five times in every event qualify for the National Championship Track Meet, held June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif. The NCAA may also award a minimum of five at-large bids in each event for the national championship meet.

Friday's action for LU will begin at 2:30 p.m. with Kasagule running in the prelims of the men's 1,500 meter run. He enters the meet with a season-best time of 3:46.59, which ranks 12th in the region and 92nd in the NCAA this season.

Koenck will then run in the prelims of the women's 1,500 at 2:50 p.m. She enters the meet with a season-best performance of 4:28.78, which ranks 30th in the region.

Graham will run the only final for the Cards on Friday, when she takes on the field in the women's 5,000 meter run. She enters the meet with a season-best time of 17:15.91, which ranks 17th in the region.

King will not run until Saturday evening in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase which is set to begin at 5:40 p.m. She enters the meet with the second fastest time in the region after running a 10:16.99 at the SLC Championship. She is second behind Emily Brown of Minnesota, who has a season-best of 10:03.77. King's time is also one of the top times in the country, raking 13th in the NCAA this season.

The Midwest Region will have more athletes who have posted national top 25 marks in their respective events than any of the four regions this weekend at 126. The Mideast Region follows with 122, East Region 116 and the West Region 111.

The NCAA Midwest Regional meet is one of four regional meets being held this weekend. The others are the East regional meet at the University of Florida, the Mideast Regional at the University of Missouri and the West Regional at the University of Oregon.

For Live results at the Midwest Regional, click on the link below.

www.godrakebulldogs.com