Trio of Tigers ready for NAIA Indoor National Championships in Yankton

MITCHELL, S.D. – After seven All-GPAC finishes two weeks ago, three members of the Dakota Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams will be competing at the 2021 NAIA Indoor National Championships hosted by Mount Marty University this weekend from the Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse in Yankton, S.D.

 To keep up with all of this weekend's action follow both the livestream and live results available on the NAIA website HERE.

 In the triple-jump event, Lydia Gerber (Canton, S.D.) ranks 11th in the field and prepares for her second-consecutive trip to the national meet. The Tiger jump specialist secured a then-collegiate best of 37-11.25 feet (11.56m) at the 2020 NAIA Indoor National meet good enough for 12th place. Gerber, who is undefeated in the event through five meets this season, claimed the top spot at the GPAC Championships two weeks ago in Sioux Center, Iowa with a leap of 37-11.5 feet (11.57m).

 Morgan Taft (Norris, S.D.) also looks to culminate her strong season after an eighth-place finish in the weight throw at the conference championships and readies for her first trip to the national meet. The program-record holder in the event dialed a toss of 51-7.75 feet (15.74m) to earn All-GPAC status.

 The Dakota Wesleyan senior notched both a season and collegiate best of 53-7.75 feet (16.35m) earlier this season. Taft also enters the field seeded 11th and has earned seven victories this season in both the weight throw and shot put.

 Rounding out this weekend's qualifiers, Caden Milmine (Buffalo, Wyo.) prepares for his first national indoor meet as well and sits seventh in the shot put in the country. Milmine secured a runner-up finish at the conference championships with a mark of 54-1 feet (16.48m). The DWU throws specialist has claimed three event titles during his senior campaign and has registered both a season and collegiate best of 54-3.75 feet (16.55m).

 Both Taft and Gerber are slated to compete on Friday as the women's weight throw is scheduled for noon followed by the triple jump at 2:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the men's shot put is set for 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.