NAMPA, ID – Lakiesha Nilles (So, Poulsbo Wa) and Michelle Phillips (Sr. Meridian Id) will be traveling to the Division II National Championships next week in Charlotte, NC.

Nilles is ranked 13th in the javelin going in to the meet, and has the advantage of having competed at the championship meet before, last year as a freshman at San Angelo State in Texas. Abilene Christian Sr. Linda Brivule is ranked 1st and is going in with a throw less than two feet off the meet record of 169-0, but the rest of the field is stacked nicely and there are no locks for places which should make the javelin an entertaining event to watch with lots of place changing.

Phillips is ranked 18th in the 800m with 2:12.68, but is only 2 seconds out of 7th place, which will make qualifying tight for all the competitors and the prelims will most likely look like a finals race because no one is safe. Phillips was the Indoor newcomer of the year, and ran an excellent Cross Country season for the Crusaders. Her trip to the Outdoor National meet will round out an outstanding Senior season.

The athlete will travel to North Carolina next week, and competition begins on Thursday, May 27th and concludes Saturday May 29th. Preliminaries in the Women's 800 will be Friday, May 28th at 6:40 pm EST and finals of the 800m will be held Saturday at 7:37pm. The Women's javelin (finals only) will be contested on Saturday at 12:15.   

The National meet is exceptionally tough this year as the other Crusaders who made the National provisional list (Laura VonArx, Jasmyn Jewett, Jaclyn Puga, Joy Warrington, Maurus Hope, and Barak Watson) all had marks that would have qualified for the National meet last year in Texas. Watch for those athletes to chase the automatic qualifier next year in their events to ensure their spots.

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