Ohio Wesleyan University | News & Media

News Release

Community Invited to Race over to Ohio Wesleyan for NCAA National Track & Field Championships May 26-28

May 17, 2011

Learning Through Teaching
Education major and senior Sean Patrick is teaching at a local elementary school this semester.

Photo by Doug Martin

DELAWARE, OH – Nearly 800 of the country’s most accomplished track & field athletes will compete May 26-28 at the 2011 NCAA Division III men’s and women’s national outdoor track & field championships hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University.

Competition will begin at noon each day at OWU’s Selby Stadium and George Gauthier Track, 45 S. Henry St. Admission will be $8 per day for adults or $20 for a three-day wristband, and $5 per day for students and senior citizens or $12 for a three-day wristband. Children ages 3 and under will be admitted free.

All Delaware County middle-school students are invited to attend the competition free of charge May 26. Those who attend that day will be given a coupon for a half-price parent admission, good in conjunction with a paid middle-school child admission May 27 or May 28.

Each day promises a festive, family environment with food and drinks available at the newly constructed Bishop Grille, located inside the stadium. Event coverage also will be visible on Selby Stadium’s new video scoreboard, funded with private gifts including a lead gift from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The video scoreboard will become a permanent feature at the stadium.

Student-athletes who qualify for the national championships will compete in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 1500-meter run, 5000-meter run, 10,000-meter run, 3000-meter steeplechase, 100-meter hurdles, 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, javelin, shot put, discus, hammer, heptathlon, and decathlon. Relay events include the 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter relays.

Competition is expected to last until approximately 10 p.m. May 26-27 and 6 p.m. May 28. Many area restaurants will stay open late to accommodate evening diners and will offer special discounts to those wearing paid NCAA admission wristbands. Main Street Delaware also is coordinating a special “Fourth Friday” event May 27 to help celebrate the championships and entertain guests. The three-day event is expected to draw thousands of spectators from across the country to the Delaware area.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 45 states and 52 countries. Ohio Wesleyan earned a 2009 Presidential Award for Excellence in General Community Service, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.