Pittsburg, Kan. --- The Minnesota State women's indoor track & field team captured its first national championship in program history after gaining 58 points during the two-day NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships inside the Robert W. Plaster Center on the campus of Pittsburg State University. This is the sixth time the Mavericks have finished inside the top-10 at the NCAA Championships eclipsing their second-place finish from a year ago. Nine individual Mavericks earned All-American honors and three national championships and a pair of Mavericks won NCAA DII individual championships - two from Makayla Jackson and one from Denisha Cartwright.

The last time Minnesota State won a NCAA Championship was in 2017 when softball defeated Angelo State, 5-1, in Salem, Va., The Mavericks have captured eight national championships as an athletic program. Wrestling has won three titles (1957-58 NAIA, 1958-59 NAIA, 1964-65 NCAA DII) while men's hockey (1979 NCAA DII), men's cross country (1988 NCAA DII co-champions), women's basketball (2008-09 NCAA DII), softball (2017 NCAA DII) and now women's track and field have each claimed one.

Flore Gracia, a junior from Thionville, France, finished 10th in the triple jump with a leap of 39' 9.25'' (12.12m) earning second team All-American recognition in the event. Gracia becomes the third Maverick to earn this honor.

Denisha Cartwright, a sophomore from Nassau, Bahamas, became the 2022 NCAA Division II 60m hurdles National Champion and All-American with a time of 8.39. Cartwright becomes the second Maverick to win the national title in the event. Altoniece Williams was the last Mavericks athlete to win the championship in 2017 with a time of 8.37. Cartwright finished eighth in the 60m dash with a time of 7.50 earning All-American status in the event as well.

Makayla Jackson, a sophomore from Milwaukee, Wis., is the 2022 NCAA Division II 60m dash National Champion. Jackson won the title with a time of 7.34 besting her previous school record of 7.41 in 2020. Jackson became the first Mavericks athlete to win the national title in this event. Jackson also earns All-American honors for her victory today. Jackson went on to finish sixth in the 200m dash with a time of 24.34. Jackson is now a three time All-American in this event. This is the 10th Maverick to earn this status in the 200m. Jackson won the National Championship in the long jump for the Mavericks with a leap of 20' 4.25''. With this performance Jackson has set a school record in this event. With the victory Jackson earns All-American honors in the event.

Brea Perron, a senior from Waukesha, Wis., took home a fifth-place finish in the shot put with a career best mark of 49' 7' (15.11m). This is the second time Perron has earned All-American honors in the event and sixth time a Mavericks athlete has earned this recognition.

Katie Taylor, a senior from Hayward, Wis., finished seventh in the shot put with a distance of 48' 11'' (14.91m). Taylor and Perron have become the sixth and seventh Maverick to earn All-American honors in this event. This is the third time in Taylor's career that she has received this award.

In the 4x 400m relay, the Minnesota State team that consisted of Rose Gaye, Rose Cramer, Denisha Cartwright and Sherona Stewart finished 12th with a time of 3:48.30.

With the conclusion of the indoor season, Minnesota State will turn their attention to the outdoor season. The Mavericks return to action as they will compete in the Wildcat Outdoor Classic on March 25-26 in Wayne, Neb.

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