MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University student-athletes Will Hanson and Alejandro Sanchez are preparing to compete at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships this Friday and Saturday at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
 
Hanson and Sanchez are the first SMSU track & field athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championships in program history. SMSU is in just its second season since reinstating the program in 2014.
 
SMSU's last national qualifiers were Wayne Hawkins and Walter Sutton, who both qualified in the 60-yard dash at the 1991 NAIA Championships.
 
Hanson, a junior and native of Aurelia, Iowa, won the 60 meter hurdles on Feb. 27 at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships with a personal best time of 7.97, which ranks tied for the ninth fastest in Division II this season. He will be seeded 9th out of 16 runners in the event.
 
Sanchez, a sophomore and native of Plano, Texas, won the 800 meters at the NSIC Championships with a conference record-setting time of 1:52.93. Sanchez's converted track time (track size) of 1:51.34, ranks 15th in Division II this season. He will be seeded 13th out of 16 runners in the event.
 
The 60 meter hurdle prelims will take place on Friday at 3:15 p.m., while the 800 meters prelims are set to begin at 5:50 p.m. The finals of the 60 meter hurdles will be on Saturday at 3:25 p.m., with the finals of the 800 meters at 5:10 p.m.
 
The University of Alabama-Huntsville and the Birmingham CrossPlex will serve as co-hosts for the championships.