The Northwest Missouri State University track and field teams will send a contingent of 22 competitors to Pueblo, Colo., for the 2023 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

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 complete list of qualifiers is available here. Heat sheets will be available at this same website by Monday, May 22.
 
The championships will be held May 25-27 in Pueblo, Colo., at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. Colorado State University, Pueblo will serve as host of the championships. The championships will be streamed live on www.NCAA.com. 

The Bearcats are led by fifth-year head coach Brandon Masters, who has helped crown 96 track and field all-Americans since taking over the Northwest program in 2018. His list of All-Americans include 43 women (37 indoors, 6 outdoors) and 53 men (40 indoors, 13 outdoors).
 
Bearcat Competition Times (listed as CT)
 
Thursday, May 25
Women's Long Jump Final – 3:30 p.m. (Luisarys Toledo)
Women's 4x100 First Round – 5:50 p.m. (Lexie Gilbert, Tiffany Hughey, Chloe Saenz, Ally Hammond)
Men's 4x100 First Round – 6 p.m. (Dominic Sedlacek, Joel Dos Santos, Prince Griffin, Enrico Cavagna)
Women's 400 Meter Dash First Round – 6:50 p.m. (Luisarys Toledo, Tiffany Hughey, Kennedi Cline, Chloe Saenz)
Men's 400 Meter Dash First Round – 6:55 p.m. (Prince Griffin)
Women's 100 Meter Dash First Round – 7:10 p.m. (Ally Hammond)
Men's 100 Meter Dash First Round – 7:25 p.m. (Joel Dos Santos)
Women's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase First Round – 7:40 p.m. (Caroline Cunningham)
Men's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase First Round – 8:10 p.m. (Reece Smith)
Women's 400 Meter Hurdles First Round – 8:40 p.m. (Jaedy Commins)
 
Friday, May 26
Women's 800 Meter Run First Round – 7 p.m. (Bailey Blake, Kaylee Harp)
Women's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase Final – 8:15 p.m.
Men's 3,000 Meter Steeplechase Final – 8:30 p.m.
Women's 4x400 First Round – 8:50 p.m. (Chloe Saenz, Luisarys Toledo, Kennedi Cline, Tiffany Hughey)
Men's 4x400 First Round – 9:10 p.m. (Prince Griffin, Gavyn Monday, Danny Jantzen, R.J. Williams)
 
Saturday, May 27
Men's Javelin Throw Final – 3:45 p.m. (Dakota Schmidt)
Men's High Jump Final – 5:45 p.m. (Blake Morgan)
Women's 4x100 Final – 6:10 p.m.
Men's 4x100 Final – 6:20 p.m.
Women's 400 Meter Final – 7:15 p.m.
Men's 400 Meter Final – 7:25 p.m.
Women's 100 Meter Final – 7:35 p.m.
Men's 100 Meter Final – 7:45 p.m.
Women's 800 Meter Final – 7:55 p.m.
Women's 400 Hurdles Final – 8:20 p.m.
Men's 5,000 Meter Final – 9:30 p.m. (Reece Smith)
Women's 4x400 Final – 9:55 p.m.
Men's 4x400 Final – 10:05 p.m.
 
Bearcat Women's National Qualifiers
Bailey Blake (Indianola, Iowa) is making her third straight appearance at the NCAA outdoor meet. This year she will compete in the 800-meter run where she ranks No. 15 and has a top time of 2:09.15. Blake is a four-time NCAA indoor All-America performer.

Kennedi Cline (Olathe, Kan.) qualified in the 400-meter dash. She ranks No. 14 in the 400 with a time of 54.05. Cline will also see action in the 4x400 relay. Cline earned two NCAA All-America honors at the 2023 indoor national championships.

Jaedy Commins (Ogallala, Neb.) gained a spot at the national meet in the 400-meter hurdles. Commins has posted a season-best time of 1:00.72 in the 400 hurdles. Commins earned indoor All-America status at the 2022 indoor championships.

Caroline Cunningham (Cedar Falls, Iowa) will compete in the 3000-meter steeplechase. She ranks No. 14 in the event with a time of 10:28.69. Cunningham gained indoor All-America status at the 2023 championships in the distance medley relay.

Kaylee Harp (Harrisonville, Mo.) was selected to run the 800-meter run. Harp ranks No. 17 in the 800 with a time of 2:09.42. Harp earned All-America honors in the 800m at the 2022 outdoor NCAA meet and at the 2023 indoor NCAA meet.

Ally Hammond (Parkville, Mo.) will be competing in the 100-meter dash. Hammond ranks No. 9 in the nation in the 100 with her best time of 11.40. She will also be a member of the 4x100 relay team.

Tiffany Hughey (Lee's Summit, Mo.) earned the nod to nationals in the 400-meter dash. She ranks No. 9 in the nation in the 400 with a season-best time of 53.67. Hughey will also take part in the 4x100 relay squad. Hughey garnered a pair of indoor All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA meet in the 400m dash and the 4x400m relay.

Chloe Saenz (Kansas City, Mo.) will compete in three different events with the 400-meter dash, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay. Saenz ranks No. 19 in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.34. Saenz has earned two indoor All-America accolades in the 4x400m relay in 2022 and 2023.

Luisarys Toledo (Valencia, Venezuela) was selected to compete in three events at this year's national meet. Toledo will run the 400-meter dash, 4x400 relay, and also take on the long jump. She ranks No. 3 in the 400 (53.33) and No. 10 in the long jump (6.12m). She gained her first NCAA All-America honor at the 2023 indoor championships as a part of the 4x400m relay.

The Northwest women's 4x100 team ranks No. 11 with a time of 45.58. Lexie Gilbert, Tiffany Hughey, Chloe Saenz and Ally Hammond posted that time to earn qualification into the national meet.

The Northwest women's 4x400 team ranks No. 1 with a time of 3:35.51. Chloe Saenz, Luisarys Toledo, Kennedi Cline and Tiffany Hughey put together the nation's best time in the 4x400 this spring.

Northwest Women's NCAA Outdoor Team Finishes
1983 – 47th
1987 – T29th
1988 – T15th
1989 – 21st
1995 – 25th
1996 – 30th
1997 – 13th
1998 – T20th
2003 – T37th
2004 – T30th
2007 – T51st
2010 – T38th
2012 – T17th
2014 – T67th
2016 – T56th
2017 – T62nd
2018 – T38th
2019 – T46th
2021 – T13th
  
Bearcat Men's National Qualifiers
Joel Dos Santos (Buenos Aires, Argentina) will run in two events. He will take part in the 100-meter dash and be a member of the 4x100 relay. Dos Santos ranks No. 23 in the 100 with a time of 10.34. Dos Santos claimed his first indoor All-America performance at the 2023 NCAA indoor meet in the 200m dash.

Blake Morgan (Kirksville, Mo.) was selected to compete in the high jump where he ranks No. 17 as he cleared a top height of 6' 11.5" (2.12m). Morgan is a three-time indoor NCAA All-American in the high jump (2021, 2022 and 2023).

Dakota Schmidt (Platte City, Mo.) will be throwing the javelin at the meet. Schmidt ranks No. 16 in the event with a distance of 210' 11" (64.28m). Schmidt is a two-time outdoor NCAA All-American in the javelin having finished 11th in 2022 and 12th in 2021.

Prince Griffin (Independence, Mo.) is set to run the 400-meter dash and be a member of both the 4x100 and 4x400 relay squads. Griffin ranks No. 10 in the 400 with a time of 46.73. Griffin gained outdoor All-America status in 2021 in the 4x400m relay.

Reece Smith (Garner, Iowa) will look to defend his outdoor national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Smith was selected to compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 5,000-meter run. Smith holds the nation's top time in the 3,000 steeplechase at 8:38.68 and ranks No. 7 in 5,000 with a time of 13:50.79. Smith placed 5th in the steeplechase at the 2021 outdoor championships, before capturing the crown at the 2022 outdoor championships. Smith is also a two-time NCAA indoor All-American in the distance medley (2021 and 2023). He is looking to become the first repeat champion in the steeplechase since Adams State's Tabor Stevens won three straight outdoor crowns in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

The Northwest men's 4x100 relay team ranks No. 10 in the nation with a time of 40.00. Dominic Sedlacek, Joel Dos Santos, Prince Griffin and Enrico Cavagna earned the qualifying run for the Bearcats.

The Northwest men's 4x400 relay team ranks No. 14 with a time of 3:10.15. Prince Griffin, Gavyn Monday, Danny Jantzen and R.J. Williams notched the qualifying performance to get the Bearcats into the national meet. Jantzen and Williams have previously gained indoor All-America status. Jantzen gained All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA indoor meet in the 4x400m relay. Williams tallied All-America honors at the 2021 NCAA indoor meet in the 4x400m relay.
 
Alternates
Men's 4x100 - Zac Anderson
Men's 4x400 – Federico Crisci

Northwest Men's NCAA Outdoor Team Finishes
1975 – T40th
1979 – T21st
1982 – T40th
1983 – T16th
1984 – T27th
1985 – T31st
1986 – T25th
1987 – T8th
1988 – 18th
1989 – 18th
1990 – 17th
1991 – T15th
1992 – T43rd
1994 – T25th
1999 – T22nd
2000 – T47th
2001 – T20th
2002 – 10th
2003 – T17th
2005 – T7th
2006 – 32nd
2007 – 32nd
2009 – 19th
2010 – T42nd
2011 – T38th
2017 – T38th
2018 – 76th
2019 – T32nd
2021 – T30th
2022 – T23rd
 

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Bearcat Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Qualifiers (since 2004)
2023 - 10
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)
2023 – 12
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 women are ranked No. 10 in the USTFCCCA's national index (May 22).
1. West Texas A&M
2. Azusa Pacific
3. Minnesota State
4. Grand Valley State
5. Adams State
6. Lincoln
7. Pittsburg State
8. Angelo State
9. Winona State
10. Northwest Missouri State
11. Fort Hays State
12. Saginaw Valley State
13. Academy of Art
14. Colorado School of Mines
15. Central Missouri
16. Missouri Southern
17. Findlay
18. Cal Poly Pomona
19. California, Pa.
20. Western Colorado
21. Hillsdale
22. Washburn
23. Fresno Pacific
24. Chico State
25. CSU Pueblo

The Northwest men are ranked No. 21 in the USTFCCCA's national index (May 22).
1. Pittsburg State
2. West Texas A&M
3. Grand Valley State
4. Adams State
5. Colorado School of Mines
6. Angelo State
7. Missouri Southern
8. Academy of Art
9. Azusa Pacific
10. Texas A&M-Kingsville
11. Central Missouri
12. Harding
13. Carson-Newman
14. Nebraska-Kearney
15. Minnesota State
16. UC-Colorado Springs
17. Lubbock Christian
18. Lincoln
19. Colorado Christian
20. Wingate
21. Northwest Missouri State
22. Limestone
23. Lenoir-Rhyne
24. Cal State Los Angeles
25. CSU-Pueblo