Track & Field | 5/17/2011 7:53:58 PM

[Men's accepted entries] [Women's accepted entries]

MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University track & field team will be well represented at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Turlock, Calif., May 26-28.

For the second year in a row, Western Oregon had three men and three women earn their right to represent the Wolves in the National Championships. Returning to Nationals for the second straight season will be Ashley Potter in the triple jump, Chris Reed in the 10k, and Will Crook and Amanda Schumaker in the javelin. Annan Applebee will return to Nationals after a one year absence, while Connor Kasler will join the field for the first time.

Amanda Schumaker (Gladstone, Ore.) will be looking to earn back-to-back All-American honors. She enters Nationals with the fifth-longest throw in Division II this season. She recorded a toss of 147-7 (44.99m) at the GNAC Outdoor Championship to move into third place in school history. Last season, Schumaker placed sixth at Nationals with a throw of 144-5 (44.01m).

Annan Applebee (Gladstone, Ore.) will also be looking to claim the second All-American honor of her career. In 2009, Applebee placed fifth at Nationals in the women's 800m run. This year she has recorded a career-best time of 2:11.21 at the Mt. Hood Track & Field Festival to enter the meet as the No. 8 seed in the field.

Potter will also be competing at Nationals for the second straight season. The junior from Springfield, Ore., placed 11th at Nationals last season and this year she will enter the field as the 16th seed with a season-best mark of 39-4 (11.99m).

Reed, a senior from Klamath Falls, Ore., just missed All-American status last season in the 10k when he placed ninth at Nationals. He will enter the field for the second straight season with the 12th-fastest time in the nation.

Crook (Jewell, Ore.) owns the 13th-best throw in Division II this year with a toss of 205-0 (62.49m) which he earned at the Pacific Twilight. Crook is coming off a GNAC title in the javelin and also participated in Nationals last season.

Sophomore Connor Kasler (Grants Pass, Ore.) earned his first trip to Nationals after running a 1:51.74 at the Oregon Twilight. That is the second-fastest time in Western Oregon history and the 12th-fastest in Division II this year.

Last season, two student-athletes earned All-American honors for WOU, while one earned All-American status in 2009.