CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- A total of eight Mount Mercy track & field athletes will compete in five events at the 31st Annual Women's NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships later this week at the Outdoor Sports Complex in Marion, Ind.

Senior Kelsey Hansen makes her debut at the outdoor national meet on Thursday in the hammer throw at 10:00 a.m. A two-time indoor national qualifier in the weight throw, Hansen was the Midwest Collegiate Conference champion in the hammer earlier this month.

For the second year in a row, sophomore Jenna Higgins will compete in the javelin on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. The MCC champion was Mount Mercy's third track & field all-American last spring, finishing second in the nation in the javelin at the 2010 outdoor national meet. Higgins, a four-time MCC Women's Field Athlete of the Week this spring, also placed fifth at last summer's USA Junior Track & Field Championships.

Junior Jacqueline Kane will race in a pair of events for the Mustangs, including the 400 meter hurdles and the 4x800 meter relay. She was the MCC champion in the 400 hurdles and 400 meter dash earlier this month, and was an all-American in the 600 meter run at the NAIA indoor national meet in March. Preliminary trials in the 400 meter hurdles are Thursday at 5:15 p.m. Semifinals are Friday at 5:15 p.m. with the finals slated for Saturday at 3:50 p.m.

Seniors Beth Ripperger and Kori Yotter and sophomore Shelby Daisy will join Kane to compete in the 4x800 meter relay prelims on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The finals in the event are scheduled for Friday at 6:00 p.m. Freshman Wendi Dunn and senior Erin Behan will race in the marathon on Saturday at 6:00 a.m.