HILLSDALE, Mich. --- University of St. Francis senior Meghan Bannatz (Novi H.S./Novi, MI) has qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in the 10,000 meter run after besting the qualifying time by nearly 20 seconds at the Hillsdale College (MI) Gina Relays over the weekend.

Bannatz, who will be making her second nationals appearance in track, ran a 39:05.27 in the event, bettering the qualifying time of 39:25. She placed 27th out of 42 runners, which included competition from the ranks of the NAIA and all three levels of the NCAA.

Senior Jessica Horn (Montague H.S./Montague, MI) also remained in contention for her third straight trip to nationals after scoring 4,002 points in the heptathlon. That placed her sixth out of 14 at the Gina Relays and left her in 14th place in the nation at the NAIA level.

USF's other top 10 finisher was freshman Chelsea Rimington (Lena-Winslow H.S./Lena, IL) in the shot put. She placed eighth in a field of 33 with a throw of 40 feet, 4.25 inches.

The NAIA National Championships run May 27-29 in Marion, Indiana on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.

USF's next competition will be the University of Illinois Twiight Invite on Friday down in Champaign.