CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin in three days and Queens University of Charlotte looks poised to have its best showing ever. With the championships being hosted in Charlotte at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University, the Royals bring their largest contingent of national qualifiers ever with five athletes competing in seven events.
The Royals return two NCAA champions from last season in
Tanya Zeferjahn (Hesperia, Calif., Hesperia High School) and
Michael Crouch (Yucca Valley, Calif., Yucca Valley). In 2009, Zeferjahn, only ranked 11
th, surprised for the win in the 10,000-meters, becoming Queens’ first female student-athlete national champion. She now leads the nation by nearly 30-seconds with her 33:09.47 Payton Jordan Invitational performance from early May, where she missed the Division II national record by merely four seconds. Zeferjahn will double back in the 5,000-meters, as well, where she holds a ten-second lead over Neely Spence of Shippensburg, who edged her for the national indoor 5k title in March.
Crouch has returned from a hernia injury and has posted the second fastest 5,000-meters this season at 13:53.37, three seconds slower than Abilene Christian’s Amos Sang. While Crouch will be competing in the 5,000-meters, he was the 2009 outdoor track 1,500-meter champion when he took the title from defending national champion and NCAA Athlete of the Year Aaron Braun of Adams State after a modest pre-championship ranking of eighth. Crouch has proven to be a dangerous championship competitor as he also took the 2009 indoor 5,000-meter title after only being ranked sixth.
The Royals may have other national champions and All-Americans in the making in
Meagan Nedlo (Mt. Pleasant, TX, Pittsburg, HS),
Maraya Slatter (Benson, N.C., West Johnston) and
Simon Stuetzel (Meinborn, Germany). Nedlo, competing slightly in the shadow of Zeferjahn, has proven herself to be one of the best long distance runners in the country. She will join her teammate in both the 10,000-meters and 5,000-meters where she is ranked fourth at 34:37 and ninth at 16:44.
With the potential to add to the point total for the women’s team score, freshman Slatter enters her first NCAA track championship ranked 16th in the 800 at 2:12. Slatter is already a decorated athlete at Queens having been named the 2009 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year for cross country.
Stuetzel had a late season improvement running one of only three automatic qualifying marks in the 1,500-meters with a 3:45.01. He ranks third nationally and has improved every time out this season having come to Queens with a modest 3:51 best.
The Royals are offering an NCAA Championship package with three-day passes, an NCAA Championship Banquet Ticket and other bonuses. For more information call Cheri Swarthout at 704-688-2809 or
click here.
The Royals At the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Thursday, May 27th:
5:55pm: Men's 1500-meter Prelims
Simon Stuetzel ranked #3 at 3:45.01
8:40pm: Women's 10k Final
Tanya Zeferjahn, defending NCAA champion ranked #1 at 33:09 and
Meagan Nedlo ranked 4# at 34:37
Friday, May 28th:
6:40pm: Women's 800-meter Prelims
Maraya Slatter ranked #16 at 2:12
7:50pm: Women's 5000-meters Prelims
Zeferjahn and Nedlo ranked #1 and #9 at 16:03 and 16:44
8:35pm: Men's 5000-meters Prelims
Michael Crouch ranked #2 at 13:53
Saturday, May 29th:
6:15pm :Men's 1500-meter Final
(Steutzel)
7:37pm: Women's 800-meter Final
(Slatter)
8:43pm: Women's 5000-meter Final
(Zeferjahn & Nedlo)
9:03pm: Men's 5000-meter Final
(Crouch)