FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.- The Wichita State Women's Track & Field team placed 24^th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. This is the team's highest finish ever at the NCAA meet.

"I am really proud of both of our teams," said Head Coach, Steve Rainbolt. "For our women's team to finish 24^th in the nation is a great step forward for Wichita State Track & Field."

In her final indoor race as a Shocker, Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton bolted her way to a time of 9:08.83 in the 3,000m. Ranked 11^th in the nation entering the meet, Tuliamuk-Bolton finished sixth with a time less than two seconds off of her Missouri Valley Conference record in the event.

This performance earned Tuliamuk-Bolton NCAA First-Team All American honors for the second time at the 2013 NCAA Indoor National Championships. She has accomplished this amazing feat twelve times in her career as a Shocker.

"I am really proud of Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton," Rainbolt said "Her two All-American performances were truly impressive."

Day two action began with Austin Bahner resuming the men's heptathlon. Bahner ran a time 8.71 in the 60m hurdles, the first event of the day.

As he warmed up for the heptathlon pole vault, Bahner suffered a hamstring strain. Despite an obviously high amount of pain, Bahner continued to compete.

The junior cleared 14-5 ¼ in the pole vault for 731 points, narrowly missing a clearance at 14-9. His coaching staff described Bahner's performance despite this injury as "herculean."

Fighting through the pain Bahner raced in the 1,000m run with a time 2:56.57. He becomes an NCAA second-team All-American for the first time in his career.

Just two weeks after she competed in eight events at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, Tanya Friesen finished 14^th in the pentathlon with 3,742 points.

Friesen earned NCAA Second-Team All-American Honors for the first time in her career. The MVC Pentathlon Champion concludes her indoor career as the Shockers all-time leader in the pentathlon.

With Tuliamuk-Bolton's third and sixth place efforts at the meet the Wichita State women's team finished 24th in the nation for the indoor season.

"I'm really proud of all our national qualifiers," Rainbolt said. "With a MVC Women's team Championship and men's second place, this has been a terrific indoor season for Wichita State Track & Field."

-Wichita State-