Warrensburg, Mo. (May 18, 2000) -- Led by two-time defending national champion Vladimir Golias (Penza, Russia) in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Central Missouri State University will send nine men and two women to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 25-27 at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C.

Golias, a junior, has won the 3,000 meter steeplechase two straight years and his top time this season of 8:49.95 is the best in Division II. He also has qualified in the 5,000 meter run.

Another two-event qualifier for the Mules is junior sprinter Edwin Harris (Knob Noster, Mo., K.N.H.S.), who has qualified in the 200 and 400 meter dashes. Harris was the Mules' top finisher at the Division II Indoor Championships, placing second in the 400 meter dash.

Also qualifying for the Mules are juniors Paul Bennett [Notts, England, Johnson County C.C. (Kan.)] and Brayce Forsha (Richmond, Mo., R.H.S.) in the 1,500 meter run, senior Duane Brisbon (Cross, S.C., East Central Mississippi C.C.) in the triple jump,  sophomore Aaron Crossley (Gladstone, Mo., Kansas City Kansas C.C.) in the decathlon, sophomore Andy Gilmore (Ashland, Mo., Southern Boone County H.S.) in the high jump, and freshman Josh Roberts (Carthage, Mo., C.H.S.) and senior Andrei Skvortsov (Sochi, Russia) in the pole vault.

Skvortsov has been runner-up in the pole vault each of the last two years after winning the title in 1997. His top vault this season of 17' 4.25" is the best in Division II. Brisbon was sixth last year in the triple jump and placed fourth at the Division II Indoor Championships. The Mules' other qualifiers are making their first trip to the Division II Outdoor Championships.

The Jennies' representatives to the national meet are sophomores Rachel Harvey (Branson, Mo., B.H.S.) and Melissa Short (Jacksonville, Fla., Sandalwood H.S.) in the 800 meter run. They placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in that event at the Division II Indoor Championships.

The Mules placed seventh at last year's NCAA meet, scoring 37 points. The Jennies did not score last year.