Division III Women�s Rowing Championship

Dates and site: May 26-28 at Finn Caspersen Aquatic Center, West Windsor, New Jersey.

Field: Six teams, each fielding two boats of eight rowers, as well as two at-large Eights, will be chosen. The following berths have been allocated for the 2006 championship: Pool A � 1, and Pools B/C � 5.

2005 team champion: Ithaca.

Top team contenders: An early May poll issued by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association/US Rowing listed Williams, Trinity (Connecticut), Ithaca, Smith and Tufts as the top five crews in Division III.

Championship notes: Ithaca is the only school to earn two consecutive national championships, as well as postseason appearances every year since the championship was established in 2002. The Bombers are seeking to capture their third straight title ... Smith is looking to improve on two straight national runner-up finishes in the past two years. Leading the charge for the Pioneers are 2006 all-New England Women�s and Men�s Athletic Conference selections Annie Coppock and Kristina Latta-Landefeld ... Gary Caldwell, currently in his 16th year in charge at Tufts, was chosen as the recipient of US Rowing�s John J. Carlin Award, presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sport.

Division III Men�s Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Dates and site: The championships will be May 25-27 at Benedictine (Illinois).

Field: A total of 344 athletes will compete in the championship. 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 May 21.

2005 team champion: Lincoln (Pennsylvania).

Top team contenders: Wisconsin-La Crosse, Lincoln (Pennsylvania), Wisconsin-Whitewater, McMurry, Mount Union.

Championships notes: Wisconsin-La Crosse, which won the indoor championship in March by a record 47 points, could record a similarly dominating performance outdoors as it seeks to take back the crown it surrendered last spring to Lincoln (Pennsylvania). Three Eagles � Nate Olson (400 meters), Kevin Becker (hammer throw) and Matt Novak (pole vault) � had the best qualifying marks through mid-May in their respective events ... A number of event records may be in jeopardy this year, including in the 400-meter relay. New Jersey City became the first Division III team ever to finish under 40 seconds in that event with its 39.95 time at the Penn Relays last month ... Nick Symmonds of Willamette seeks his third sweep in four years of the 800- and 1,500-meter runs. A victory in the 800 would make him only the fourth four-time winner of a championships event, and another sweep would make him the meet�s first seven-time champion.

Division III Women�s Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Dates and site: The championships will be May 25-27 at Benedictine (Illinois).

Field: A total of 344 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 May 21.

2005 team champion: Wartburg.

Top team contenders: Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Keene State, CCNY, Williams, Bates.

Championships notes: Wisconsin-Oshkosh is seeking a record seventh outdoor team title, as well as its second sweep of indoor and outdoor titles in three years. Titan senior Robyn Jarocki posted the best Division III mark ever in the shot put � 16.31 meters (53 feet, 6 1/4 inches) � at a home meet May 15 and could close out her career with a total of 11 indoor and outdoor individual championships with a sweep of the three throwing events, though she again faces tough competition from Bates� Keelin Godsey ... Two teams that made a splash at this year�s indoor meet � Keene State and CCNY � join Williams as the biggest threats to stop the Titans. Distance specialists Breanne Lucy of Keene State and Caroline Cretti of Williams pace their teams� hopes, while CCNY�s Alecia Watson hopes to complete an indoor-outdoor sweep of the triple jump.