CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State track and field athletes will take part in three last chance meets this weekend as they try to solidify qualification marks for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will happen from May 21-23. 

Decathlete Courtney Williams will compete at the Franson Last Chance multi event held at Azusa Pacific in southern California. That two-day decathlon will take place on Thursday and Friday, starting at 1 p.m. Pacific time (2 p.m. MT) both days. 

Williams currently ranks 22nd in the nation with his season-best mark of 6,734 points from the RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he placed second. Williams will need to place in the top 16, exceeding at least 6,871 points, to make the nationals field. 

A slightly larger crew will compete in a series of last chance meets at Concordia University Nebraska on Friday and Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. That contingent will include entries of the Eagles' 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays, RMAC discus champion Tavion Leatherdale and women's throwers Shelby Ekwall, Ashlyn Tapio, Sydney Alles and Kristie Jordan.

Leatherdale's RMAC-winning mark of 51.58 meters (169 feet, 3 inches) in the discus currently ranks 34th in Division II. Leatherdale achieved a personal best of over 12 feet at the RMAC championships and will look to improve his mark again to get over the top into nationals. The relay teams will be fighting for a school record, national qualification spot, or both. 

Friday's meet is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. while the meet at UNK will have field events starting at 2 p.m. CT (1 p.m. MT), and the 4x100 relay at 5 p.m. CT (4 p.m. MT).

Triple jumper Chayton Bynes is assumed to be safely in the field and will not compete this weekend. Bynes has the No. 4 mark in Division II with his leap of 15.73 meters (51-7.25).