By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

BEREA, OHIO -- The 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships are ready to begin on Thursday, May 27 at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and will continue through Saturday, May 29. Willamette University will be represented by Evin Colignon (Jr., Poulsbo, WA/Charles Wright Academy) in the decathlon and by Kimber Mattox (So., Bend, OR/Bend HS/Cornell Univ.) in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Colignon will be among the first athletes to compete, since the decathlon is slated to open the meet on Thursday at 12 p.m. (Eastern) / 9 a.m. (Pacific). Although the decathlon will start the NCAA Championships, it won't be the first competition to be completed. Colignon and 14 other entrants will participate in five events on Thursday, followed by the final five events on Friday.

There will be 30 minutes between events each day. On Thursday, the 100-meter dash is the first event. It will be followed by the long jump, shot put, high jump and 400-meter dash. On Friday (May 28), the decathlon will start with the 110-meter hurdles at 11 a.m. (Eastern) / 8 a.m. (Pacific), with the discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run to follow.

Colignon qualified for the NCAA Championships with a score of 6,472 points. He recorded the score during the Northwest Conference Multi-Event Championships on April 12-13.

Mattox will compete in a field of 18 runners during the 3,000-meter steeplechase, which will feature a final race without any preliminary heats. The race is scheduled to begin early Friday evening at 5:45 p.m. (Eastern) / 2:45 p.m. (Pacific).

Mattox reached the NCAA Championships by earning a qualifying time of 10:41.78. She earned the time while winning the event at the Oregon Relays on April 30.