The final day of the NAIA Track & Field Championships wrapped up today in Marion, Indiana. Four athletes competed for Grand View today and GV ended the day with another All-American performance, a school record, and four top-20 finishes.

Sophomore standout Obsie Birru (Des Moines, Iowa) capped off the season with her second All-American performance of the championships. Following her win in the 10,000m Run on Thursday, Birru placed fifth in the 5,000m Run today with a time of 17:45.17. The Viking women finished 18^th out of 64 teams in the team standings with 18 points.

Freshman Chris Nealy (Des Moines, Iowa) ran a school record 2:41:58.50 in the Marathon, placing 13^th in the field of 42 runners.

The Grand View Track & Field teams had phenomenal performances on the first day of the NAIA Track & Field Championships today in Marion, Ind. At the end of day one, the Viking women are tied for first place with Sioux Falls (S.D.) in the team scoring with 14 points.

The women's team crowned its first-ever National Champion as sophomore Obsie Birru (Des Moines, Iowa/Johnston HS) won the 10,000m Run tonight. All-American Birru's time of 36:17.88 was seven seconds faster than the runner-up Lauren Jimison of Azusa Pacific (Calif.).

Freshman Devon Jensen (Underwood, Iowa) placed fifth in the Javelin with a toss of 43.24m (141' 10") to earn All-American status.

The 2010 NAIA Track & Field Championship are set to begin on Thursday, May 27^th. Grand View will be represented at the NAIA Championships by six athletes in nine events.

On the men's side, Tyler Wells will compete in the Shot Put and Chris Nealy runs the Marathon, both on Saturday.

For the women, four athletes compete on Thursday - Devon Jensen (Javelin, Discus), Chelsea Maas (Hammer), Latasha Moore (100m Hurdles), and Obsie Birru (10,000m). Friday, Birru runs in the 5,000m semis and the 4x100m Relay team of Aneisha Parrish, Gretchen Lamar, Jessica Hamell, Tabatha Carlson will compete.

Two members of the Grand View women's track & field team were awarded weekly Midwest Collegiate Conference honors announced Monday.

Sophomore Obsie Birru (Des Moines, Iowa) was selected as the MCC Track Athlete of the Week. Birru won the 1,500m Run at the Doane Last Chance meet, breaking her previous school record and hitting the NAIA ‘A' standard with a time of 4:41.78.

Freshman Devon Jensen (Underwood, Iowa) was chosen as the MCC Field Athlete of the Week. Jensen broke GVU school records in the javelin and discus and automatically qualified for the NAIA National Championships with her performances at the Doane Last Chance meet.

A select group Grand View track & field athletes competed in the Doane Last Chance meet in Crete, Nebraska on Friday evening. It was definitely a worth while trip as the Vikings hit four NAIA national qualifying marks and broke five school records.

Freshman thrower Devon Jensen had an outstanding meet shattering the GV school record in the javelin by over two meters with an NAIA automatic national qualifying mark of 43.55m which currently ranks her seventh in the nation. Jensen also hit an NAIA automatic qualifying mark in the discus breaking her own school record with a toss of 42.57m.