Canadian National Track and Field Championship Schedule

Canadian National Championship Meet Live Results

Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association National Championships Schedule

Jamaican National Championship Meet Live Results

KINGSTON, Jamaica and CALGARY, Alberta, Canada - A pair of Nichol ls State University track and field athletes will be in the hunt for national championships nearly 5,000 miles apart on Friday when sophomore javelin thrower Jaimee Springer competes at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Calgary while, at the same time, senior distance runner Jessica McLeod takes to the track to compete in the 1500 m at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association National Championships in Kingston.

Springer qualified for the national meet by recording a personal record throw of 44.71 m (146 ft. 8.0 in.) at the Cole Lancoln Twilight meet at UL-Lafayette in April.  Springer's throw met the qualifying standard for the Canadian national meet and ranked her second in the javelin among all Canadian juniors.

Springer can earn a chance to represent Team Canada at both the 2011 Pan American Games October 14-30 in Guadalajara, Mexico and the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea Aug. 27-Sept. 4, by meeting the qualifying 'A' standard for each meet and finishing in the top-three in Calgary.

Springer, a Lloydminster, Alberta native, heads into the meet having qualified to represent Team Alberta at the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games after winning the 2011 CALTAF Track Classic in Calgary with a throw of 43.62 m (143 ft. 1.25 in) to take first place in the women's 21 and under javelin competition.

Her victory qualified her to represent Team Alberta for the presitigious Western Canada Summer Games in Kamloops, British Columbia Aug. 4-6.  The event features the top athletes aged 16-22 in the Canada's seven most western provinces and territories (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut).

While Springer competes in Calgary, McLeod heads to Kingston for the Jamaican National Championships.  The Colonels' middle-distance specialist owns the school record in the 1500 m with a time of 4:33.54, set at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays this past April and meeting Jamaica's qualifying stadards for the national championship meet. 

In a nation traditionally deep in sprinters but lacking dominant mid-distance runners, McLeod will hope a strong enough showing in the 1500 m at the Jamaican national championships will earn her a spot on the Jamaican national team at the Pan American Games and the IAAF World Championships.

"We are really excited that Jaimee and Jess will be getting the opportunity to compete in their native countries with the chance represent Team Canada or Team Jamaica at future championship meets this summer," head coach Scott Williamson said. "This opportunity is a culmination of the hard work and dedication that they showed this entire year while representing Nicholls State. This is the highest level of competition in the sport of track and field and we wish them the best of luck."

Springer will compete at 2 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Central Daylight Time) while McLeod will take to the track at 8:40 p.m. local time (7:40 p.m. Central Daylight Time.  Live results to the Jamaican national championship meet and the Canadian national championship meet are available at www.geauxcolonels.com.