MEADVILLE, Pa. — The 4x400m Relay team joined the pool of NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship qualifiers and two individual Pioneers moved up the national list to highlight Marietta College's performance at the fourth annual Allegheny College Gator Invitational Friday (May 14) night. [Results]

Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) foe Baldwin-Wallace College will host the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship May 27-29 in Berea, Ohio. Marietta College hosted the national event in 2009.

Sophomore #Brittany Sims (Columbus/Eastmoor Academy)# climbed into the top 10 of national qualifiers with her school record performance in the 400m Hurdles. Sims raced around the track in 1:02.78 on Friday.

Sophomore #Kim Keesler (Chagrin Falls/Chagrin Falls)#, who has already cleared an automatic qualifying height of 3.86m (12-08.00) in the Pole Vault, continued to build momentum after winning the event at Allegheny. Keesler successfully vaulted 3.70m (12-01.50).

Senior #Chad Byers (New Matamoras/River)# also improved his chances of earning an invite in the Discus Throw when he unleashed a personal record toss of 47.93m (157-03), which was just under four feet shy of a 43-year old school record (49.05m/160-11) set by Greg Mitchell in 1967.

Sophomore #Corryn Muench (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic)#, senior #Christi Tims (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls)#, Sims and freshman #Kristeva Rowe# closed out the night by earning a NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 4x400m Relay. The Pioneers combined to run the four laps in 3:56.21.

Select student-athletes will continue their attempts to qualify or improve their marks when Marietta competes at the North Carolina State A&T Invitational Sunday (May 16) afternoon.