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Three Allegheny track and field athletes are set to compete at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will take place at Baldwin-Wallace in Berea, Ohio on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Gator representatives are Lauren Butler, Chris Marker and Mia Symoniak.

Each athlete made his or her National Championship meet debut at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor meet. Butler and Marker returned to Meadville as All-Americans in the women's javelin and men's 5,000-meter run, respectively. Symoniak participated in the women's 10,000.

For the second consecutive year, Butler will compete in the women's javelin. She placed sixth in '09 with a throw of 137 feet, 10 inches (42.01 meters). As a provisional qualifier, the two-time North Coast Athletic Conference javelin champ will have some work to do. She is ranked ninth in the event with her best throw coming at the Bucknell Bison Classic (140-7, 42.86m).

Jill Shaner of Richard Stockton leads six automatic qualifiers with the nation's longest javelin toss -- 153-3 (46.71). Carleton's Kelly Lovett is rated second (147-0, 44.80m) and Amanda Trieloff of Carroll is third (146-5, 44.63).

Marker ran to seventh place in the men's 5K at last year's championship meet, clocking in at 14:51.28. His top 2010 run -- an Allegheny record of 14:24.08 which he ran at Hillsdale's Gina Relays -- easily beats his performance at the 2009 Nationals.

Marker, who has won four consecutive NCAC 5K crowns (indoor and outdoor), is ranked third in a strong 5K field. Jesse Faller of Tufts is seeded No. 1 with a time of 14:17.10 while Dickinson's Nick Karwoski is second (14:21.93). Eight runners automatically qualifed for the 5K.

The group also includes Lynchburg's Ricky Flynn, who was the individual champ at the 2009 Cross Country Nationals, and the 2010 Indoor 5K National Champ, Kyle Brady of North Central.

Symoniak will return to compete in the 10,000; she placed 16th last year with a time of 38:13.43. At the recent 2010 Indoor Nationals, she ran to 12th place in the 5,000 (17:44.39).

In 2010, Symoniak is ranked 16th with a much faster time than her clock-in at the '09 NCAA meet. She ran a 36:14.62 at the Bucknell Bison Classic.

Only three women automatically qualified for this year's Outdoor 10K including top-seed Alicia Freese of Pomona-Pitzer (35:13.41), St. Norbert's Jenny Scherer (35:21.70) and Taryn Surtees of Washington-St. Louis (35:45.78).