Shockers Travel to SPIRE and Iowa State Meets

WICHITA, Kan. — The Wichita State men's and women's track & field teams travel to face several nationally ranked top-25 programs at the SPIRE Division I Indoor Track & Field Invitational, while junior Aliphine Tuliamuk travels to the Iowa State Classic to compete in the women's 5,000-meters this weekend.

The SPIRE Invitational takes place Friday and Saturday in Geneva, Ohio and features several of the nation's top programs. The Florida State men's and women's teams each rank in the top 10 of the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association indoor rankings. The Indiana men are ranked No. 10. The Ohio State women (No. 15), Auburn men (No. 25) and Michigan women (No. 25) also rank among the nation's best teams this winter. Eighteen Division I programs, including Wichita State, will compete.

The Wichita State women's and men's track & field teams are ranked 11th and 15th, respectively, in the Midwest Region. The Shocker women also moved up one spot in the national rankings to No. 33 from last week.

The two-day meet opens at 2 p.m. Friday with the women's pentathlon and begins at 11 a.m. Saturday with the men's heptathlon 60-meter hurdles.

Tuliamuk competes in the Iowa State Classic 5K starting at 2:45 p.m. Saturday. Student-athletes from more than 50 teams will compete in the three-day meet at Ames, Iowa.

Tuliamuk is trying to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the event. Her personal best mark and the WSU school record, which she set last season in the 5K, is 15:53.74. Tuliamuk finished the 2011 indoor season as an All-American in the 5K.

The Shockers most recently competed in the Varsity Apartments Invitational at the Heskett Center. The Wichita State men and women each won team titles. Audacia Moore led the Shockers with individual titles in the women's 60 meters and 200 meters. Tanya Friesen (pentathlon) and Tuliamuk (mile) also won individual titles for the Shocker women.

Brandon Childs (high jump), Chris Dubree (shot put), Dylan Hartnett (400m), Lawson Montgomery (60m hurdles), Sterling Spencer (3,000m) and Jake Wike (800) won titles on the men's side.

Moore holds the Midwest Region's top spot in the women's 60 meters thanks to her winning time of 7.45 in the event at the Varsity Apartments Invitational. She also ranks seventh in the region in the women's 200 meters.

Tuliamuk ranks third in the Midwest women's 3,000 meters. Austin Bahner and Aaron Young rank among the region's top eight in the men's heptathlon. Childs (men's high jump) and Montgomery (men's 60-meter hurdles) also are ranked in the Midwest individually.

- Wichita State -

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Players Mentioned

Austin Bahner: Multi; Sophomore

Brandon Childs: Jumps; Junior

Chris Dubree: Throws; Junior

Tanya Friesen: Multi; Junior

Dylan Hartnett: Sprints; Senior

Lawson Montgomery: Sprints/Hurdles; Senior

Audacia Moore: Sprints/Jumps; Senior

Sterling Spencer: Distance; Freshman

Jake Wike: Distance; Junior

Aaron Young: Multi; Senior

Players Mentioned

Austin Bahner
: Sophomore
: Multi

Brandon Childs
: Junior
: Jumps

Chris Dubree
: Junior
: Throws

Tanya Friesen
: Junior
: Multi

Dylan Hartnett
: Senior
: Sprints

Lawson Montgomery
: Senior
: Sprints/Hurdles

Audacia Moore
: Senior
: Sprints/Jumps

Sterling Spencer
: Freshman
: Distance

Jake Wike
: Junior
: Distance

Aaron Young
: Senior
: Multi