The Spartans scored 51 points during the second day of competition, scoring in four of the seven event finals staged, and now has a two-day total of 63 points.  Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) is second with 53 points while Lindenwood University (Mo.) is third with 41.5.

Missouri Baptist started its onslaught early in the day and didn't stop until the sun had set.  Spartan  freshman Nadina Marsh capped her wire-to-wire lead by winning  the heptathlon, though Doane's Katie Kosmos presented a scare with a late charge in the final event - the 800 meters.  Marsh tallied a school-record 5,268 points to win and bookend her heptathlon title with her indoor pentathlon crown captured in March.  She edged Kosmos who finished second with 5,234.  Marsh was up by more than 340 points heading into the 800, but Kosmos blazed a 2:18.74 and then turned to watch Marsh put the finishing touches on a 2:43.68 to hold on for a narrow 34-point win.

"I knew this was going to be competitive with Katie and that I couldn't make any mistakes," said Marsh.  "I didn't watch her during the 800 but just paced myself to do what I know I can do.  It's a relief to get the 800 over because I hate that event, but it's overwhelming knowing that I won the heptathlon.  I'm grateful."

The night's competition closed with another Spartan victory when fellow freshman Seidre Forde won the triple jump with a school-record leap of 42' 6 ¼", beating Lindenwood's Latoya Heath, who was second at 42' 1¼".

In between, Missouri Baptist picked up an additional ten points in the 100 meters when sophomore  Nickesha Anderson successfully defended her crown by running a stadium record 11.41.  A year ago Anderson became the first athlete in NAIA history to win all three sprint titles and now she is attempting to repeat the feat.  During Saturday's final day of competition she'll go for the 200 and 400 titles.

Azusa Pacific enjoyed a better than expected second day, but to no one's surprise Cougar senior Vivian Chukwuemeka won her third NAIA discus crown with a toss of 175' 1" to beat teammate Barbara Sugar, who was second at 160' 10".  The victory gave Chukwuemeka her 15^th NAIA title between indoor and outdoor championships meets, tying the record of fellow Nigerian and Azusa Pacific Cougar Ade Olukoju, who captured 15 NAIA men's titles from 1987 to 1990.  Chukwuemeka will go for her record 16^th crown Saturday in her specialty, the shot put.

Concordia of Portland, Ore., which had never won an NAIA event title prior to this year, picked up its second in as many days when junior Jessie Gallaher won the pole vault with a school-record effort of 12' 9½" to beat Doane's Meagan Bauer by four inches.

In the 100-meter hurdle finals, six freshmen finished among the top seven, including all of the top five.  Collegiate rookie LaToya Greaves led an Oklahoma Baptist sweep with a windy yet winning time of 13.39, the fastest ever run by an OBU athlete.  Teammate Nickiesha Wilson was second at 13.44.

Unique features of the NAIA track & field  - Canadian schools and the walk - came together when Megan Huzzey of the University of British Columbia won the 3000-meter walk in a time of 13:53.57.  Fellow Canadian institution Simon Fraser University won the 4x800-meter relay for the third straight year and the fourth time in the past five years by registering a stadium-record 8:56.06.  Seniors Julia Howard, who anchored the race, and Rebecca Johnstone have been members of all three title-winning performances.

The NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships conclude Saturday with 12 event finals.  Click here to view live results of the meet.