LAWRENCE , Kan. – McMurry University will continue its indoor track season on Friday (Jan. 27) at the Jayhawk Classic, hosted by the University of Kansas at its Anschutz Sports Pavilion. McMurry's men's team is ranked No. 4 in the nation in the latest USTFCCCA rankings, while the women's squad is fourth in the South/Southeast Regional poll.

Coach Barbara Crousen's War Hawks have already posted several outstanding performances in the early part of the 2012 indoor season. McMurry's two previous meets this season were both run at Texas Tech, giving McM its third outing in an NCAA Division I-hosted competition.

“Going to a Division I meet gives us a chance to see some very good competition,” Crousen said. “I hope this competition helps us better our marks. We are trying to get our kids in the top (of the performance list) to help them get to the national meet. We are always trying to improve.”

Thus far in 2012, McM has several individuals at – or near – the marks or times to qualify for the NCAA III indoor championships. , 10 student-athletes are already within the top 13 needed to qualify for nationals at NCAA Division III, while one other is just three slots away.

For the men's team, junior sprinter Kenneth Turner has the nation's best time in the 60 meters. Turner had his school record time of 6.32 seconds in the 55 meter dash at the Texas Tech Open converted to 6.81 for the 60 meters at the NCAA's.  Teammate Trevon Odom, also a junior, has the nation's seventh-best time of 6.97.

In the 400 meters, senior Kevin Cunningham has the second-best effort in a clocking of 49.30 seconds. In the 60-meter hurdles, freshman Junior Saint Preux has a converted 60-meter hurdles time of 8.32, good for sixth, after a school-record run of 7.71 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles at last weekend's Texas Tech Invitational.

In the field events, the War Hawks have a pair of senior competitors among the top NCAA III long jumpers. Gavan Bass is sixth on the long jump performance list at 22' 11 ¼”, while teammate Marcus Thompson ranks 16th with a best effort of 22' 7”.

Freshman Dillon Wilkins is 10th in the triple jump at 46' 2 ½”. In the shot put, sophomore Paul Davis sits in fourth in the shot put with a heave of 54' 8 3/4".

On the women's side, freshman Kristen Johnson is eighth in the 60 meter hurdles, with a converted clocking of 9.13 seconds (8.61 in the 55 hurdles).

The War Hawk women also have two competitors in the long jump. Sophomore Shanita Coleman is fourth at 18' 3 ¼” and freshman Tiana Alexander is 11th at 17' 10 ¼”.