Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: March 5

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MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/27/07)-- Concordia senior Heather Schuster (Grafton, N.D./Minto HS) has earned a spot in the 800 meters at the NCAA Division III National Indoor Track and Field Meet held at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Mar. 9-10 it was announced by the NCAA Office on Monday.

Schuster earned the berth by virtue of her conference event-winning time of 2:15.33 at the MIAC Championship Meet on Friday. That time is the second best in school history and the 13th fastest time in the nation this year.

Schuster was bumped up to 11th in the nation after two competitors elected to compete in another event at the meet.

Schuster becomes the fourth Cobber women's track and field athlete to qualify for the NCAA National Indoor Meet in the past seven years. Sprint superstar Angie Pfeiffer competed in the 2005 and 2006 national indoor meet, while Kelli Tranby participated in 2003 and Heidi Brenden earned All-American honors in 2001.

Schuster will try to chase down Brenden's legacy during the national meet. Brenden also earned her national meet trip in the 800 meters and is the current school record-holder in the event. Schuster's time of 2:15.33 is less than two seconds off of Brenden's school record time of 2:13.48, which she set at the 2001 NCAA National Indoor Meet.

Schuster will compete in the second heat in the preliminaries of the 800 meters at the national meet on Fri. Mar. 9 at 5:45 p.m. The top eight qualifying times from the two preliminary heats qualify for the finals and earn All-American honors.

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