LA CROSSE, Wisc. – The University of Mount Union is sending 17 student-athletes to the 2018 NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Events begin Thursday, May 24 and will continue through Saturday, May 26. The top eight finishers in each event will earn All-American honors. The top 20 male and top 22 female times/marks in each event, along with the top 16 relay teams in the nation, have qualified for the meet.

Mount Union's men's team, ranked 12th in the nation, heads into the meet after winning the indoor national title earlier this year. The Purple Raiders were third at the outdoor meet a year ago and won the national outdoor title in 2014.

Sophomore AJ Digby ’20 qualified for three events, which include the 400 meters, the 4x400 and 4x100 meter relay teams. A four-time All-American, Digby ran the anchor leg on two national titles in the 4x400 meter relay at last year's outdoor meet and this year's indoor meet. 

Along with Digby, the ninth-seeded 4x400 meter relay team includes juniors Sam Printy ’19 and Clark Etzler ’19, along with sophomore James Roth ’20.

The 4x100 meter relay team enters the meet as the eighth seed. The relay team consists of Digby, senior Josh Weber ’18, sophomore Darian Littlejohn ’20 and freshman Malik Britt ’21.

Three-time All-American sophomore Mason Plant ’20 sits as the fourth seed in the 110 meter hurdles. He placed third in this same event a year ago and won the 60 meter hurdle national indoor title this past March.

Mount Union's four remaining entrants are all in field events, three of whom are returning All-Americans. Sophomore Matt Keim ’20 will compete in the pole vault, senior Jaquill Scott ’18 will throw the javelin for the third year in a row and sophomore Sean Sherman ’20 will return to compete in the shot put. Junior Lucas Cooper ’19 will make his debut at the national meet to compete in the discus throw.

On the women's side, five Raiders qualified for the meet. Sophomore Rachael Adams ’20 sits at the top of the list.

Adams is seeded ninth in the 200 meters and is one of three returners on a 4x100 meter relay team that is seeded 12th and won the national title in the event a year ago. Also returning from last year’s championship relay team are senior Katie Goedecke ’18 and sophomore Daijana Johnson ’20. Senior Steph Donley ’18 is the fourth runner on this year's relay team.

Freshman Alexianna Johnson ’21 makes her national meet debut as the ninth seed in the long jump.

For details about the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships and to follow along, visit athletics.mountunion.edu.