July 28, 2005

OLATHE, Kan. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced Fresno, California as the site of the 2006 and 2007 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.  Member institution Fresno Pacific University will serve as the meet's host, holding the three-day event on campus at Cockerham Track.  The 2006 national men's and women's championships will be contested May 25-27 and the 2007 dates are tentatively scheduled for May 24-26.

     The 2006 event marks the 55^rthMen's Championship and the 26^th Women's Championship.  Each championship features approximately 1,200 student-athletes vying for individual titles in 48 events.  Each individual victory counts toward the overall team standings to determine the NAIA National Champion. 

     "We are excited to have Fresno Pacific serve as host of our prestigious Track and Field National Championship," said NAIA President and CEO Steve Baker.  "The school did an outstanding job previously with our volleyball national championship, and we know its athletic administration will do a great job orchestrating outdoor track and field."

     A strong advocate of the NAIA Champions of Character program, Fresno Pacific holds Character summits each year engaging hundreds of local elementary students.  Last spring, the NAIA and Fresno Pacific partnered to develop a Champions of Character Program Center on the university's campus.

     In 1952 the NAIA implemented men's outdoor track and field, and saw the event's first host, Abilene Christian (Texas), win three of the first four national championships.  Azusa Pacific (Calif.) has won the most men's titles with 13.  Dickinson State University (N.D.) reigns as the two-time defending national champion.  Past participants in the event include current Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack and silver medalist Bryan Clay as well as former Olympians Bruce Jenner and Dave Johnson.

     The NAIA introduced women's outdoor track and field in 1980, with Texas Southern taking home the first national crown in 1981.  Prairie View A&M (Texas) holds the most women's titles in NAIA history, with nine championships in the meet's first decade of existence.  Last year saw Simon Fraser University (B.C.) win the women's title.