The Aurora University women's outdoor track and field team looks to win its third straight conference title at this weekend's NACC championships in Lisle.  Local rival Benedictine is the host of the two-day meet on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3, 2014.

After winning the indoor conference meet with a massive total of 298.5 points (nearly quadrupling second place), the Spartan women are heavily favored to take home their second straight triple crown—conference champions in cross-country, indoors, and outdoors in the same academic year.  The biggest challengers will be Wisconsin Lutheran College, Benedictine University, and 2011 outdoor conference champs Concordia University Wisconsin.

In the sprints, Loretta Johnson, Liz Canaday, Lisa Rodriguez, Crystal Abernathy, and Destinie Willis all hold at least one school record. Here's the lineup for this weekend:

• 100: Rodriguez, Abernathy, Willis. Preliminary rounds begin at 1:25 on Friday and the final is at 1:25 on Saturday.
• 200: Johnson, Rodriguez, Abernathy, Willis. Prelims 2:40 Friday, final 2:15 Saturday.  The six year old conference record of 25.38 seconds could be in danger.
• 400: Canaday (defending champion), Johnson, Rodriguez.  Prelim 12:20 Friday, final 1:10 Saturday.
• 4x100: Johnson, Rodriguez, Abernathy, Willis.  The quartet has already run faster than the meet record of 50.37 and looks to climb the national lists. Straight final Saturday at noon.
• 4x400: Johnson, Abernathy, Canaday, Emily Paull. The Spartans own the conference record (3:58.77) and meet record (4:06.04); both could fall this weekend. Straight final Saturday at 3:45.

Distance runners Emily Paull, Lena Palmer, CJ Houlis, and Christina Luptak (all juniors except for Palmer, a sophomore) have school records of their own.  They look to lead the Spartan distance runners to big points all weekend.  Paull has the #9 time in DIII in the steeplechase (12:50 Friday), and looks to win the 1500 (12:15 Saturday) as well.  Palmer won the conference championship indoors in the 800 (prelims 1:55 Friday, final 1:40 Saturday) and has a chance to break the meet record of 2:23.72.  Houlis and Luptak will attempt the tough 10000 (Friday at 4:15)/5000 (Saturday at 3:15) double; Houlis is the top returner in both events.

Other athletes to look out for:

• Talia Sheedlo in the long jump, high jump, triple jump, 100 hurdles, and 400 hurdles.  Sheedlo was the overall Athlete of the Meet at the indoor conference championship.
• Kaylee Swearingen in the heptathlon (seven events), javelin, pole vault, and 100 hurdles. Swearingen was the overall Athlete of the Meet at last year's outdoor conference championship.
• Cara Hahne in the shot put, discus, and hammer.  Hahne has set career bests in all three throws this spring and holds the #2 throw in school history in the discus.

Competition goes from 10:30 to 4:15 on Friday, and 10:30 to 3:45 on Saturday at Benedictine.