WICHITA, Kan.  --  A select number of Shocker throwers and distance runner will compete Friday and Saturday at the University of Arkansas Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., while the bulk of the Shocker squads will compete at the Second Annual Indoor Gorilla Classic Friday and Saturday at the Robert W. Plaster Center at Pitt State.
At Pitt State, Friday's action will begin at 2 p.m. (CST), while Saturday's competition with start at 10:30 a.m.

Approximately 50 schools – ranging from the junior college ranks to the NAIA as well as NCAA Division I and II programs – will combine in Pittsburg, Kan., to send as estimated 1,400 athletes to the two-day meet. MIAA rivals Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, Lindenwood, Missouri Southern and Southwest Baptist all will compete in the meet. Other notable Division II entries incude Colorado State-Pueblo, Harding, Missouri S&T, Texas A&M-Commerce, Western State and William Jewell. Division I members Creighton, Missouri State, Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), Northwestern (La.) State, Tulsa and Wichita State also will send athletes.

In Fayetteville, 35 track and field programs will compete in the two-day event.  Of the 35 programs with entries at the Tyson Invitational, nine are nationally ranked including: No. 1 Florida, No. 3 LSU, No. 8 Southern California, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 15 Texas, No. 16 Kansas, No. 17 Colorado and No. 20 Oklahoma State.

Competition in Arkansas begins at 1:30 Friday, and runs through Saturday evening.

Last week at the Herm Wilson Invitational, Wichita State set two school records - Nikki Larch-Miller in the 60 meter hurdles and Kelsey Slawson in the shot put -  and set seven Top 10 all-time marks.  WSU also set 50 personal bests, 25 by the men and 25 by the women.

In addition, WSU men currently hold 14 Top 100 marks and the women hold 13 Top 100 marks. Hunter Veith's 5,802 points ranks No. 8 in the Heptathlon while Nikki Larch-Miller's 4,143 points ranks No. 7 on the women's side as the top-ranked Shockers in the list.

Individual performances from last week worth-noting:

-Kelsey Slawson's school record throw of 49-10/15.18m highlighted WSU's individual performances on the second day of competition inside the Heskett Center Track and Field Facility. Slawson broke the previous school record held by Kellie Wartick in 2007 (49-4.5/15.05m). Her throw is currently No. 56 in the NCAA.

-Nikki Larch-Miller used the first event of the day to set the Wichita State 60 meter hurdles record with a time of 8.27 Friday morning on the first of two days of competition at the Herm Wilson Invitational inside the Heskett Center Track and Field Facility. Larch-Miller, competing in the event as part of the Pentathlon, broke the previous record held by her and her sister, Taylor Larch-Miller. Nikki tied her sister earlier this season with an 8.31 at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular inside the Heskett Center, while Taylor's school record a year ago came at the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Championship inside the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The time also broke the Heskett Center and Herm Wilson meet records. Her time is currently No. 28 in the NCAA.

-Ben Johnson set a personal best in the Heptathlon with 5,281 points inside the Heskett Center Track and Field Facility that broke him into the Shocker All-Time Top 10 at No. 10. His point total is currently No. 36 in the NCAA.

-Cody Scheck entered his name in the WSU Top 10 all-time list with a 6.86 in the 60 meters inside the Heskett Center Track and Field Facility. He also won the 200 meters in a time of 21.92. His 200 meter time is No. 97.