The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced that 381 women's track & field athletes have been named 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Nominated by each institution's head coach, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.

Five members of the Grand View University women's track & field team earned Scholar-Athlete status. Senior Megan Higgins (Council Bluffs, Iowa) and juniors Betsy Craig (West Point, Iowa), Sadie Fisher (Lehigh, Iowa), Ashley Houston (Fort Madison, Iowa), and Taylar Swartz (Fremont, Iowa) all qualified for the award.

Grand View junior Obsie Birru (Des Moines, Iowa) claimed her second national title at the 2011 NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships this morning in Marion, Ind.

Birru won the women's marathon in a new NAIA record time of 2:46:40.01, surpassing the previous record of 2:49:14.00 set in 1992 by Amber Anderson of Midland Lutheran. Birru just missed the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:46:00.

Birru completed the race nearly eight minutes in front of runner-up Danielle Brenon of Houghton who finished in 2:54:01.30.

Grand View is currently in eighth place in the women's team standings with 20 points courtesy of Birru's two first place finishes; today's win in the marathon and Thursday's championship in the 10,000m.

Grand View University junior Obsie Birru (Des Moines, Iowa) has done it again. Birru won her second consecutive 10,000m national title this evening at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Outdoor Sports Complex in Marion, Indiana.

It is Birru's third national title at Grand View; she was also the indoor national champion in the 5,000m in March.

Birru won the race in a school record and personal best time of 34:49.42, 13 seconds ahead of runner-up Carlee Coffey of Eastern Oregon. She shaved off nearly a minute and a half off of her 2010 winning time of 36:17.88.

Nearly 1,300 student-athletes are set to compete at the 2011 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, held May 26-28, at the Outdoor Sports Complex in Marion, Indiana.

This year's field features 139 schools including 126 men's teams and 120 women's squads. Ten Grand View athletes will compete in eight events at the 2011 Championships beginning on Thursday.

Three women will compete on Thursday. Lauryn Camp kicks off the championships for GV in the Hammer Throw at 10 a.m. Returning All-American Devon Jensen looks to improve on her 2010 fifth place finish in the Javelin at 4 p.m. and Obsie Birru will look to defend her title in the 10,000m at 8:30 p.m.

Head track and field coach Jerry Monner has announced the signing of Syretta Harrold (McCluer H.S./St. Louis, Missouri) to his 2011-12 recruiting class.

Harrold has been one of McCluer's top sprinters throughout her career and just qualified to compete in their sectional meet in the 100m dash and 4x200m relay next weekend for a bid to make it to the state meet in Jefferson City on May 27th-28th. She was a member of the Comets 2009 Suburban North Conference championship team and also competes for the St. Louis Lightning Track Club during the summer. She is coached by McCluer's Phil Wollbrinck.

Coach Monner said "Syretta will help fill the void left by our senior sprinters. She's very talented and has lots experience having competed throughout high school and with her club team. She'll be a big contributor to our team next season."