Division II Men's Basketball Championship

Dates and sites: Regional play will be on campus March 12, 13 and 15. The Elite Eight will be March 24 (quarterfinals), March 25 (semifinals) and March 27 (championship game) in Bakersfield, California.

Field: 64 teams.

Selection date: March 7.

2003 champion: Northeastern State.

Top contenders: Tarleton State, Pfeiffer, Metropolitan State, Cal State San Bernardino, South Dakota State.

Championship notes: The South Central region, which produced last year's champion, looks even more competitive this year with three teams ranked in the coaches' top 10: Tarleton State (which lost to eventual titlist Northeastern State in last year's regional final) from the Lone Star Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Conference pace-setters Washburn and Northwest Missouri State. Washburn holds the advantage in the MIAA after sweeping Northwest Missouri State in regular-season conference play ... High-scoring Pfeiffer went 19-0 before becoming the last Division II team to suffer a loss, falling on a 75-foot buzzer-beater February 9 by Mount Olive's Marcus West ... Metropolitan State and Cal State San Bernardino were the two hottest teams in Division II as of mid-February, with the Coyotes shaking off a November loss against Metro State to climb into the coaches' top 10. Cal State San Bernardino may be headed for a showdown in the West region against Humboldt State.

Division II Women's Basketball Championship

Dates and sites: Regional games will be March 12, 13 and 15 at on-campus sites. The Women's Elite Eight will be March 24, 25 and 27 at the St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Field: 64 teams.

Selection date: March 7.

2003 champion: South Dakota State.

Top contenders: California (Pennsylvania), Drury, Seattle Pacific, Emporia State and Glenville State were ranked as the top five teams in the February 17 USA Today/
ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll.

Championship notes: California (Pennsylvania) sported an unblemished 24-0 mark and a No. 1 ranking before stumbling against Shippensburg in late February ... Drury notched 22 straight victories and captured the 2004 Heartland Conference championship en route to a nearly perfect 28-1 overall mark for the season ... Seattle Pacific owns a spotless 24-0 record through late February. The Falcons' Valerie Gustafson leads the team in field-goal percentage, field-goal attempts, points and steals ... Only North Dakota State and Pittsburgh-Johnstown have hung losses on the Lady Pioneers of Glenville State, who are working on a 12-game winning streak ... At 21-2 overall and 14-2 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association action, Emporia State earned its seventh 20-win season in eight years.

Division II Men's Swimming and Diving Championships

Dates and site: The nationals will be at the Erie Community College Flickinger Center in Buffalo, New York, March 10-13. Edinboro joins the community college as a co-host.

Field: The meet is open to all competitors who have met the NCAA's established minimum standard in an event. Entries are unlimited in number; however, no team is allowed more than 18 competitors.

2003 team champion: Drury.

Top team contenders: Drury, North Dakota, West Chester, Cal State Bakersfield.

Championships notes: Defending champion Drury tuned up for nationals by winning the Central States Swimming and Diving Invitational. The Panthers' Jakub Jiracek and Alex Perdomo set pool records in the 200-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard butterfly, respectively ... Cal State Bakersfield lost a close contest to UC Davis, which is in the middle of moving to Division I, in the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships. Roadrunners coach Bob Steele said afterward that while he was disappointed about not winning the league meet, "this is my seventh year at CSUB and we've won this meet twice, but we've won the NCAAs four times. I think that helps to put in perspective the importance we place on this meet. We'd rather win the NCAAs." To do that, Steele will rely on freestylers Greg Mroz and Piotr Gegotek and diver Justin Pollock.

Division II Women's Swimming and Diving Championships

Dates and site: The nationals will be at the Erie Community College Flickinger Center in Buffalo, New York, March 10-13. Edinboro joins the community college as a co-host.

Field: The meet is open to all competitors who have met the NCAA's established minimum standard in an event. Entries are unlimited in number; however, no team is allowed more than 18 competitors.

2003 team champion: Truman.

Top team contenders: Truman, Drury, West Chester, Cal State Bakersfield.

Championships notes: Drury beat three-time defending national champion Truman in a late-season dual meet, but Truman gained revenge in the regular-season-ending Central States Swimming and Diving Invitational. Drury features freestylers Lynsey Fugate, the defending champion in the 1,650, and sprinter Cindy Ong, while Truman is counting on freestylers Diana Betsworth and Sarah Dance, and breaststroker Michaela Osborn ... Cal State Bakersfield's Loni Burton dominated the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships, breaking three meet records. "This is a pretty big deal," Burton said. "I was out the first half of the season so I had to come here and show what I'm made of, and I think I did that. But there's still nationals to go." Burton is the defending national champion in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyles and the 100-yard butterfly. The Roadrunners also return Laura LaFranchise, the defending champion in the one-meter dive.

Division II Men's Indoor Track Championships

Dates and site: The championships will be March 12-13 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston.

Field: A total of 154 athletes will compete in the championships. Athletes qualify by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event.

Selection date: The spots remaining in the field after the automatic qualifiers are entered will be filled from the descending-order list of provisional qualifiers March 2.

2003 team champion: Abilene Christian.

Top team contenders: Abilene Christian, St. Augustine's, Cal State Bakersfield, Adams State, Central Missouri State.

Championships notes: A balanced Abilene Christian team seeks its third straight title and 10th in 12 years. Bernard Manirakiza, who won the 800 meters last year, is a favorite in the mile run ... The 5,000-meter run again could be a key race in determining team placement. Last year, Western State swept the top five places in the event, which nearly was enough to boost the Mountaineers to the overall team title. This year, two Adams State runners have posted automatic-qualifying times in the event, including cross country champion Celedonio Rodriguez, and a third runner at the school had the best provisional time as of mid-February ... Cal State Bakersfield again will be a force in the throwing events, with defending shot put champ Tony Thompson possibly facing his stiffest challenge from a teammate, Chris Figures.

Division II Women's Indoor Track Championships

Dates and site: The championships will be March 12-13 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston.

Field: A total of 154 athletes will compete in the championships. Athletes qualify by reaching the automatic and provisional standards established for each event.

Selection date: The spots remaining in the field after the automatic qualifiers are entered will be filled from the descending-order list of provisional qualifiers March 2.

2003 team champion: St. Augustine's.

Top team contenders: Abilene Christian, St. Augustine's, Lincoln (Missouri), North Dakota State, Adams State.

Championships notes: Abilene Christian hasn't won the team championship since its eight-title streak ended in 2000, but the Wildcats are optimistic about returning to the medal platform, led by pole vaulter Katie Eckley, who topped a Division II-record 4.03 meters February 13 ... This will be a big year for St. Augustine's coach George Williams, who will coach the U.S. Olympic men's track and field team this summer. First things first, though: Williams' women's team at St. Augustine's is in good shape to claim its fifth team indoor title (and third in four years) behind a sterling crew of long sprinters and hurdlers ... Lincoln (Missouri) boasts a strong group of sprinters, including defending 60-meter dash champ Shandria Brown.

Division II Wrestling Championships

Dates and site: The championships will be March 12-13 at Minnesota State Mankato.

Field: There will be 160 competitors determined through regional qualifying tournaments.

Qualifying date: February 29.

2003 team champion: Central Oklahoma.

Top team contenders: North Dakota State, Central Oklahoma, Nebraska-Omaha, Pittsburgh-Johnstown, Findlay.

Championships notes: Seven North Dakota State wrestlers are ranked eighth or better in National Wrestling Coaches Association individual rankings, led by defending champions Paul Carlson at 157 pounds and Thad Pike at 174. The Bison remained undefeated in duals entering a February 20 showdown against league rival Nebraska-Omaha, which features defending heavyweight champ Les Sigman ... Central Oklahoma lost to North Dakota State on criteria (near-fall points) at the National Duals in Cleveland January 18, and remains close behind the Bison in the coaches' team rankings. The Bronchos are led by defending champs Cole Province, who is seeking his fourth straight title at 133 pounds, and Shawn Silvis, searching for his third championship in possibly the tournament's most competitive class, 165 pounds.