CLINTON, Iowa - The climax of a highly successful indoor campaign for the Ashford University men's and women's track team comes to a full head of steam this weekend at the Midwest Collegiate Conference Indoor Championships in Sterling, Ill.

The Saints will be competing at the Westwood Sports Complex with a chance to stamp their demonstrated improvement to the rest of the conference.

With five NAIA qualifiers already having punched their tickets to Johnson City, Tenn., on March 4-6 this season, Saturday is a perfect opportunity to do just that.

"This will probably be the most points that we've scored on either the men's or women's side," AU Head Coach Chris Adams said. "But the conference meet is tough to gauge where you'll finish. It's a completely different setting."

Freshman thrower Spencer Touchie of Hometown, Ill., started the streak of AU national qualifiers at the Carthage Open (Wis.) in shot put. High jumpers A.J. Smith of Port Byron, Ill., and Heather Ketcham of Byron, Ill., together followed suit shortly after at the Sol Butler Classic in Dubuque.

Freshman Christian Awah of Willow Springs, Ill., fought through a nagging injury to provisionally qualify in the 55-meter hurdles at the Illinois Snowbird Open.

Freshman Nkemdilim Okwumabua of Rockford, Ill., has shattered a number of school records, including her NAIA-qualifying time of 1:38.36 in the 600-meter dash at the Jack Jennett Invitational.

"It's definitely a big step for our program, considering we're technically just three years old," Adams said. "It really bodes well for the future."

But Adams says the thought of sending as many people to the NAIA Championships as possible is on the backburners for now and he's dialed in on a collaborative team effort.

The Saints still have one more indoor meet remaining and one more chance for individuals to make national times/marks at the UNI Dome Open on Feb. 19 in Cedar Falls, a return site for AU.

Adams says there are still some student-athletes on the verge of eclipsing the NAIA ‘B' standard, pointing out sophomore sprinter Austin Gilbert of Peoria, Ill., junior middle distance runner Andrew Drinkall of Hooppole, Ill., and sophomore Laura Minertz of Sterling, Ill., among others.

"We're trying to put people in a situation to score points for us," he added. "But some athletes might be competing in four to five events on Saturday. We're close to breaking 100 points on the girls' side and the guys could get anywhere from second to fourth."