2022 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Site
 
Eight Northwest Missouri State University track and field competitors will be in action this week at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships set for the Grand Valley State Track & Field Stadium in Allendale, Mich.
 
Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Sports Commission will serve as co-hosts of the championships. The championships will be streamed live on www.NCAA.com.
 
A total of 754 participants, 377 men and 377 women, will compete in the championships. Student-athletes qualified for the championships by reaching a provisional standard established for each event. 
 
The Bearcats will be guided by fourth-year head coach Brandon Masters who has helped crown 64 track and field all-Americans since taking over the Northwest program in 2018.
 
Bearcat Competition Times (listed as CT)
Thursday, May 26
Women's 400m First Round – 4:55 p.m. (Chloe Saenz)
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase First Round – 5:40 p.m. (Reece Smith)
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase First Round – 6:10 p.m. (Caroline Cunningham)
 
Friday, May 27
Women's 800m First Round – 5:15 p.m. (Bailey Blake, Kaylee Harp)
Women's 100m Hurdles – 5:50 p.m. (Sarah Prickett)
Men's 3,000m Steeplechase Final – 6:15 p.m.
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase Final – 6:30 p.m.
Women's 4x400m Relay First Round – 7:10 p.m. (Bailey Blake, Chloe Saenz, Haley Luna, Kaylee Harp)
 
Saturday, May 28
Men's Javelin – 9:30 a.m. (Dakota Schmidt)
Women's 100m Hurdles Final – 1:55 p.m.
Women's 400m Final – 2:15 p.m.
Women's 800m Final – 2:55 p.m.
Men's 5,000m – 4 p.m. (Reece Smith)
Women's 4x400m Relay Final – 5 p.m.
 
Northwest Women's National Qualifiers
Bailey Blake – 800 Meters, 4x400-Meter Relay
Blake (Indianola, Iowa) is making her second straight NCAA outdoor meet appearance in the 800 meters and in the 4x400-meter relay. Blake secured the No. 21-ranked time (2:09.87) in the nation this spring in the 800 meters. Blake's 800m time ranks as the third-best in Northwest's outdoor history. The Bearcat women's 4x400-meter relay squad ranks No. 13 in the nation this spring. The quartet posted a time of 3:44.69 at the MIAA Championships in Emporia, Kan. Blake is a three-time NCAA indoor all-America performer for the Bearcats in the 800m (2021, 2022) and the 4x400 relay (2022).
 
Caroline Cunningham – 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Cunningham (Cedar Falls, Iowa) will be looking to earn her first all-America honor at the NCAA Championships. Cunningham has posted the No. 7-ranked time in the nation this spring in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a clocking of 10:29.75 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Cunningham owns Northwest outdoor school records in the 3,000m steeplechase, 1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters.
 
Kaylee Harp – 800 Meters, 4x400-Meter Relay
Harp (Harrisonville, Mo.) served as an alternate last year on the women's 4x400-meter relay squad's national meet appearance. Harp has the No. 13-ranked declared time in the women's 800-meters this spring. Harp produced her best time of 2:08.98 in the 800-meter race at the Concordia Twilight this past Friday in Seward, Neb. Harp owns the second-best time in the 800m in Northwest's outdoor history. Harp ran the anchor leg on Northwest's best 4x400-relay performance this spring with a time of 3:44.69 at the MIAA Championships in Emporia, Kan.
 
Haley Luna – 4x400-Meter Relay
Luna (Platte City, Mo.) is making her first NCAA Championship appearance. The Bearcat women's 4x400-meter relay squad ranks No. 13 in the nation this spring. The quartet posted a time of 3:44.69 at the MIAA Championships in Emporia, Kan.
 
Sarah Prickett – 100-Meter Hurdles
Prickett (Overland Park, Kan.) earned her first NCAA championships appearance in the 100-meter hurdles. Prickett produced the No. 20-ranked time (13.90) in the nation to earn a spot in Allendale, Mich. Prickett set the school record in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles April 16 at the Beach Invitational in Long Beach, Calif.

Chloe Saenz – 400 Meters, 4x400-Meter Relay
Saenz (Kansas City, Mo.) will be making her first NCAA outdoor appearance after earning all-America status at this year's NCAA indoor meet in the 4x400 relay. Saenz also qualified in the women's 400-meter race. Saenz has the No. 12 declared best time in the nation this spring in the 400 with a time of 54.73 at the MIAA Championships in Emporia, Kan. Saenz claims the fourth-best 400-meter time in Northwest's outdoor history. Saenz will also run in the 400-meter relay.
 
Northwest Men's National Qualifiers
Dakota Schmidt – Javelin
Schmidt (Platte City, Mo.) secured his second straight trip to the NCAA outdoor championships in the javelin. Schmidt ranks No. 10 in the nation this spring with his best toss of 65.90m (216'2") at the Loper Twilight in Kearney, Neb. Schmidt's throw in Kearney allowed him to top his own school record. Schmidt captured second-team all-America honors in the javelin at the 2021 NCAA outdoor championship meet with a 12th-place finish.
 
Reece Smith – 5,000 Meters and 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Smith (Garner, Iowa) earned his second consecutive trip to the NCAA outdoor meet in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Smith posted the third-best time in the nation this spring in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase with a clocking of 8:39.09 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Smith's time is logged as the 12th-best performance all-time by a Division II athlete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Smith captured all-America honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2021 NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish in the nation. It will be his first appearance in the 5,000-meter race at the outdoor championships. Smith owns the No. 12-best declared time in the men's 5,000-meter run with a clocking of 13:57.62 at the Drake Relays.
 
Bearcat Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Qualifiers (since 2004)
2022 - 6
2021 - 6
2020 - N/A
2019 - 5
2018 - 2
2017 - 4
2016 - 1
2015 - 1
2014 - 6
2013 - 2
2012 - 3
2011 - 0
2010 - 3
2009 - 5
2008 - 1
2007 - 1
2006 - 0
2005 - 1
2004 - 2
 
Bearcat Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Qualifiers (since 2004)
2022 - 2
2021 - 7
2020 - N/A
2019 - 3
2018 - 2
2017 - 1
2016 - 2
2015 - 0
2014 - 2
2013 - 2
2012 - 0
2011 - 1
2010 - 2
2009 - 2
2008 - 4
2007 - 4
2006 - 5
2005 - 3
2004 – 2

The Northwest men are ranked No. 10 in the USTFCCCA's Central Region index. The men are ranked No. 33 in the USTFCCCA's national index.
 
USTFCCCA Men's Central Region Index (May 16)
1. Pittsburg State        831.23
2. Missouri Southern   524.88
3. Nebraska-Kearney  494.20
4. Minnesota State      470.72
5. Fort Hays State       465.26
6. Central Missouri      447.83
7. Lincoln                     438.87
8. Augustana               368.16
9. Harding                   339.18
10. Northwest Mo. St. 325.08

The Northwest women are ranked No. 9 in the USTFCCCA's Central Region index. The women are ranked No. 45 in the USTFCCCA's national index.
 
USTFCCCA Women's Central Region Index (May 16)
1. Minnesota State      746.38
2. Pittsburg State        579.65
3. Augustana              480.36
4. Central Missouri     434.71
5. Lincoln                    409.68
6. Fort Hays State      357.65
7. Univ. of Mary          354.06
8. Winona State          327.42
9. Northwest Mo. St.   311.58
10. Harding                 269.94