GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Presidents’ Council and Commissioner Joe Onderko announced that men’s and women’s indoor track and field are to be added as official PAC sports, beginning with the 2014-15 academic year.
Adding men’s and women’s indoor track and field increases the number of PAC-sponsored sports to 23, which includes 12 for men and 11 for women. These additions were adopted by the PAC Presidents’ Council at their April 2013 meeting.
Unofficial conference championship events in both men’s and women’s indoor track and field were held in 2013 and will continue in 2014. This year’s event is scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2014.
“The addition of indoor track and field in the PAC is another positive step toward our long-term goal of becoming one of the elite NCAA Division III conferences in the nation,” said Thiel President Dr. Troy VanAken, the current chair of the PAC Presidents’ Council. “We are very excited to provide these two additional championship opportunities, as the PAC and its member schools continue to offer a student-athlete experience that is second to none in Division III.”
The PAC recently reached a long-term agreement with Youngstown State University to hold its annual championship event at the Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS) on the YSU campus. The WATTS Center hosted the Horizon League Indoor Track & Field Championships in 2012 and 2013.
“This continues to demonstrate the conference’s commitment to finding the best opportunities for our student-athletes to compete and showcase their many athletic talents. Being able to offer an indoor track and field conference championship event while providing another opportunity to meet the qualifying standards for the NCAA Division III national championships is just the latest step taken by our presidents to showcase the many exciting and high-quality performances of our student-athletes,” said Onderko. “We’re grateful to YSU for allowing us to utilize the WATTS Center, one of the nation’s finest indoor track and field facilities, to host our championships and look forward to many outstanding efforts this season and in seasons to come.”
The NCAA has sponsored Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships since 1985 for both men and women.
Currently, Bethany College, Chatham University (women), Geneva College, Saint Vincent College, Thiel College, Thomas More College, Washington & Jefferson College, Waynesburg University and Westminster College sponsor indoor track and field programs.
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