DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Ashford University women's track and field team continued to press the reset button on a number indoor records over the weekend as it competed in the Sol Butler Classic hosted by the University of Dubuque on Saturday.

The Saints had their first chance to go up against a handful of programs from the Midwest Collegiate Conference and came away with 68 points in 18 events scored in just their third meet of the indoor season.

"I'm proud of the early successes that our athletes have experienced thus far this season," AU Head Coach Chris Adams said. "Although we're setting and breaking school records from meet-to-meet, it's the national qualifying standards that we as coaches want our athletes to strive to attain. And in these first few weeks they've stepped up to the challenge."

Freshman Heather Ketcham of Byron, Ill., was the first Saint on the women's side to qualify for the NAIA National Championships in Johnson City, Tenn., making the provisional mark in high jump at 1.62m.

Ketcham highlighted a strong effort in the field events that saw freshman Sarah Wenzel of Clinton take second in long jump and throwers Brooke Funk of Le Claire and Ashley Voeltz of Fulton, Ill., chalk up top-five finishes in weight throw and shot put.

Ketcham now joins freshman thrower Spencer Touchie (shot put) of Hometown, Ill., and fellow high jumper A.J. Smith of Port Byron, Ill., as national qualifiers to date this season.

"Heather has quickly become a very reliable athlete in her event," praised Adams. "She's already made the transition from a high school athlete to a viable force in our conference."

Nearly joining their company was sophomore Natalie Solms of Kissimmee, Fla., who barely missed the national provisional mark in triple jump after three straight personal-best attempts. She finished second at 10.94m and was a mere 3 cm from the NAIA "B" standard.

Make it three straight broken school records in three different events for freshman Nkemdilim Okwumabua of Rockford, Ill., who broke the 1,000-meter run record. She broke the 600 and 800-meter run marks, respectively, earlier this year while also serving as a member of the 4x400-meter relay unit that reset the record twice.

Nkemdilim shattered a decade-long record in the 1,000-meter run previously held by Angela Wakefield in 2000.

Already an owner of the respective AU indoor records in the 60 and 300-meter dashes, sophomore Laura Minertz of Sterling, Ill., overcame a minor back injury to re-write the 200-meter dash record, finishing in 26.79. She finished second while recording a fifth-place effort in the 55-meter dash.

The Saints hit the road again this weekend at the Illinois College Snowbird in Jacksonville, Ill., on Saturday.