Indoor Track: IU East at NAIA National Championships Preview

RICHMOND, Ind. – Indiana University East's track and field athletes are set to compete in the NAIA National Indoor Championships on March 5-7 in Gainesville, Fla.

The event at the Alachua County Sports & Events Center at Celebration Pointe begins on Thursday at 10 a.m.

NAIA All-American Cameron Nocton, Vance Dougherty and Austin Wenta are representing the men's squad.

Kayci Hill, Emily Fleming, Emilee Earl, Sarah Perry and Makenzee Kahn will be competing individually on the women's side. Hill and Fleming will also be part the women's distance medley relay team that includes Mackenzie Rohde and Mylee Shatto. Hunter Gardner is the alternate for the relay.

IU East's Schedule of Events

Thursday, March 5
Men's 3,000-Meter Race Walk Prelims at 12 p.m. (Cameron Nocton, Vance Dougherty and Austin Wenta)
Women's Pole Vault Prelims & Final at 12 p.m. (Emilee Earl)
Women's Distance Medley Prelims at 4:45 p.m. (Emily Fleming, Mackenzie Rohde, Mylee Shatto, Kayci Hill, Hunter Gardner)

Friday, March 6
Women's 3,000-Meter Race Walk Final (No Prelims) at 10:45 a.m. (Sarah Perry, Makenzee Kahn)
Men's 3,000-Meter Race Walk Final at 11:15 a.m. (Cameron Nocton, Vance Dougherty and Austin Wenta)
Women's Mile Prelims at 11:45 a.m. (Kayci Hill, Emily Fleming)
Women's 1,000-Meter Run Prelims at 3:45 p.m. (Kayci Hill)

Saturday, March 7
Women's Mile Final at 12:25 p.m. (Kayci Hill, Emily Fleming)
Women's 1,000-Meter Run Final at 2:35 p.m. (Kayci Hill)
Women's Distance Medley Final at 4:40 p.m. (Emily Fleming, Mackenzie Rohde, Mylee Shatto, Kayci Hill, Hunter Gardner)

FOLLOW THE MEET

The GPS address for the Alachua County Sports & Events Center is 4870 Celebration Pointe Ave, Gainesville, FL 32608.

Tickets are $10 per day and must be purchased here. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Live results and video are scheduled to be available.

YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

* Nocton is the top seed in the men's 3,000-meter race walk as he won the event at the River States Conference Indoor Championships with a time of 12:05.36 on Feb. 20. Competing in the indoor nationals for the fourth time, he earned All-American honors as he finished sixth in 2024.

* Dougherty (15:24.11) is No. 22 in the race walk, while Austin Wenta (15:49.38) is No. 26.

* Earl is seeded in the No. 19 spot in the women's pole vault. Her best performance of the season was 3.58 meters (11'9") at the GVSU Big Meet-Friday on Feb. 13.

* IU East's women's DMR squad of Fleming, Rohde, Shatto and Hill No. 20 on the qualifying list with a time of 12:23.85 at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet-Saturday on Feb 14.

* In the women's 3,000-meter race walk, Perry is No. 17 with a time of 17:49.62 from the Olivet Nazarene University Indoor Invite back in January. Kahn is 19th with an 18:50.85 from the conference championships.

* Hill is No. 27 in the women's 1,000 meters as she ran a 2:58.15 at the ONU Indoor Invite.

* In the women's mile at the RSC Championships, Hill had a time of 5:10.34, while Fleming recorded a 5:14.81 to qualify for the event.