The Grand View women's track field team looks to continue their streak of conference championships this Spring. They are the reigning Midwest Collegiate Conference champions after capturing both the indoor and outdoor conference titles in 2009. Last season marked the third straight outdoor conference championship for the Vikings. Head Coach Jerry Monner has a solid core of returning athletes to lead the way as they work to defend their titles this season.

Sophomore All-American Obsie Birru will once again lead the distance runners this season. She was selected as the MCC outdoor track athlete of the year after winning the 800m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m runs at the outdoor conference championships. Birru also earned All-American honors last season in the 10,000m run for her sixth place finish at the NAIA Championships. Sophomore teammate McKelle Lacher was the indoor conference champion at 800m and ran the lead leg of the national qualifying distance medley relay. She also placed 3rd in both the 800m and 1500m events at the outdoor conference championships.

National qualifying hurdlers Latasha Moore and Courtney Heid return in hopes of making a repeat trip to the NAIA indoor championships in the 60m hurdles and have their sites set on the qualifying in the 100m hurdles during the outdoor season. Last year Moore was the MCC conference runner-up in the 60m hurdles indoors and the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles during the outdoor season. Sophomore Maggie Pestotnik will add depth in the hurdles and looks to improve upon her 4th place finish in the 100m hurdles at the MCC outdoor championships last May.

Sprints coach Miradieu Joseph inherits a talented group of athletes in his first year with the program. The Viking sprinters have an outstanding tradition in the MCC conference having swept the sprint titles in the 100m, 200m, 400m and winning the 4x100m and 4x400m relays each of the past three seasons at the outdoor conference championships. Returning MCC indoor track athlete of the year Tabatha Carlson headlines a deep group of talent on the Vikings roster this season. Last season Carlson hit national qualifying marks in the 60m and 200m dashes and ran the 400m leg of the national qualifying distance medley relay team during the indoor season. Outdoors she swept the 100m, 200m, and 400m dashes and ran on the championship 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Returners Jordyn Schertz and Charisse Brown will continue to be solid performers in the sprints and relays. Freshmen Melissa Dewey, Taylor Handsaker, Whitley Schertz, and Gretchen Lamar will add great depth in the sprints.

The Viking throwers return junior Chelsea Maas and sophomores Lauryn Camp and Ashley Houston. Last season Maas was the MCC conference runner-up indoors in the shot put and outdoors in the hammer throw. She will continue to be one of the top throwers in the conference this season. Camp and Houston have made steady improvements from a year ago and should score some big points for the team this season.

Senior Courtney Heid is the reigning indoor conference champion in the high jump and scored points for the team in the long and triple jumps last season. She will be joined by Latasha Moore in the triple jump and sophomore Betsy Craig competing the high jump. Jordyn Schertz returns as the Viking's top pole vaulter and looks to build off her 5th place finish at the MCC outdoor championships.

The Vikings will open up their indoor season on January 16th at the University of Northern Iowa - Panther Open in Cedar Falls. The team will have their sites set on the Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships being held on February 13th and the NAIA Indoor National Championships on March 4th-6th in Johnson City, Tenn.