MANKATO, Minn. – For the Minot State track and field teams, the past 3 months have been a race to get ready for this weekend – the NSIC Indoor Championships.

The Beavers head to Minnesota State, Mankato for the annual indoor meet this Friday and Saturday, and first-year head coach Jordan Aus is excited for the opportunity to see his teams compete for titles.

"Our coaching staff feels like all of our event groups are well prepared to execute their best indoor performances this weekend," he said. "We have some great opportunities for athletes to make finals and to score points.

"Our preparation and training has been great," Minot State's coach added. "With how busy the Dome can be this time of year with different entities utilizing it, it can be difficult to work around that schedule. But our coaches and student-athletes have done a great job of getting creative with our practice spaces and times to ensure that we are continuing to progress, ensuring that we give our student-athletes the opportunity to perform at their best at the conference meet."

Action at the NSIC Indoor Championships gets underway Friday at 9:30 a.m. with the multi-events, while the individual events start at noon with the pole vault and long jump for the field events, and at 1 p.m. on the track with the distance medley relays.

Saturday, action resumes at 9 a.m. with the start of more multi-event action. The individual events getting underway at 1 p.m. with the triple jump, shot put, and high jump for the field events, and the mile at 1:30 p.m. on the track.

The top three finishers in each individual event earn All-NSIC honors, as do the top two relay teams, while the top eight finishers in every event score team points.

Last season, then-freshman Bailey Wride brought home the lone NSIC Championship for the Beavers, winning the title in the women's 600 meters.

The Minot State sophomore will again be one to watch, this time in two events as she heads into the 600 meters with the 7^th-fastest time this winter of 1:36.91 (converted) as she looks to defend her title, as well as the No. 1 time all season in the women's 1,000 meters of 2:59.96 (converted).

The women's 1,000 could be a big event for the Beavers, too, as teammate Sidra Sadowsky has the No. 2 time in the event this winter of 3:00.70.

"Both of them will have a great opportunity to compete for a conference championship in that race," Aus said.

Also having a great season for the Minot State women is Summer Krebsbach who set new school records in the 60 and 200 meters and will look to make the finals in those events and potentially bring home All-NSIC honors.

Add in the women's and men's distance medley relays and women's and men's 4x400-meter relays, and the Minot State teams are poised for a successful weekend.

Aside from the relays, the Minot State men are ready to make a splash, as well, starting with the 1,000 meters where Peyton Tuhy has the 9^th-fastest time in the NSIC of 2:32.71 (converted).

Also turning in a top time this winter and looking for a big weekend is hurdler Nasir Dilworth who's 8.12-second performance last week in the 60-meter hurdles is 8^th in the NSIC and an NCAA provisional qualifying time.

Coach Aus added: "Ramon Duran and Zaccharius Brown both have a great opportunity to make the finals in the 400 meters, and Dallas Reese is right there to have an opportunity to make the finals and score in the shot put."

Duran is 12^th fastest this season in the 400 meters with a time of 49.87 (converted), and Brown has the 27^th fastest 400 time of 50.71 (converted). As for Reese, his career-best throw of 51 feet, 7 inches ranks 10^th in the NSIC this season.

Also turning in a top 10 performance headed into this weekend's championship meet is Devontae Daley in the men's 600 meters as he is 10^th fastest in the event with a time of 1:23.33.