PITTSBURG, Kan.- The Beavers' nationally ranked indoor track & field program has done nothing to affect its status as one of the best in the country. More so, that reputation was solidifed this weekend at the Region VI Indoor Championships.

Head Coach Josh Campbell, in his first season in charge, was named the Region VI Men's Indoor Coach of the Year. Leading into the Region VI Championships, Coach Campbell had assisted in the development of six of his male athletes and their qualification for the NJCAA Indoor Championships, as well as three female qualifiers. As if he needed more evidence to validate his growing credentials, Pratt saw four more Beavers book a ticket to Lynchburg, Virginia.

CJ Hill, long-jumping for the Beavers, posted a distance of 7.21m (23 feet, 8 inches) in his fifth and final attempt, placing him fifth at the event and eighth nationally, clearing the NJCAA qualifying distance of 7.05m. Competing in the women's pentathlon, Emauri Heads posted a score of 2007 to place her ninth-overall at the Region VI Championships. Patricia Koma (women's 3000m), Marvin Jean-Francois (men's 60m hurdles), Braylon Harrington (men's 60m hurdles) and the Pratt women's 4x400 relay team also managed to secure positions at the Indoor National Championships.

Familiar names, already scheduled to appear at the championship meet in Lynchburg, managed to diversify their portfolios over the weekend.

Che Lara, previously qualified for the 400m dash following a time of 47.73 seconds during the Beavers trip to Pittsburg earlier this month, will now compete in the 200m dash after posting a time of 21.59 seconds. Lara becomes the fourth Beaver to qualify for the event at the national level, joining Jamaal Morris, Michael Hudson and Priest Foust. On the women's side, Nikesha Pierre narrowly cleared the national requisite time of 25.11 seconds, recording a time of 25.09 in the 200m dash. Pierre, who became a national qualifier in the 60m dash while running at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, becomes the second female 60m dash qualifier along with Kadesha Prescott. 

Next for the Beavers is indeed the Indoor National Championships, taking place March 6-7 on the campus of Liberty University.