Seven athletes will represent the ISU men’s and women’s track and field teams at the NCAA championship meet this week.

Four men and three women met the marks needed to be invited to the event, which will be held at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

Daniel Kinyua, Zech Schiebout, Joey Brunkhorst and Jamie Beyer will represent the men while Ola Adetiba, Laurie Meythaler and Barbara Szlendakova are competing for the women’s team.

One of the big disappointments for the women was not getting Cyclone hurdler Aurelia Trywianska qualified.

Trywianska ran times that were faster than the provisional mark needed to qualify every meet in the 100-meter hurdles but still ended up being a victim of an NCAA number crunch.

In past years, the NCAA had taken as many as 23 athletes in each event, but this year only 20 in each event were taken.

“That’s something I can’t hardly believe,” said women’s track and field assistant coach Scott Roberts. “She would have easily made it the last three or five years.”

Trywianska said she was disappointed, but her season isn’t over yet. She will be competing all summer long in her home land of Poland. She said she believes she deserves to be in, but she pointed out that she believes the NCAA doesn’t care about individuals, they need numbers.

Roberts said all the women who have qualified will have a chance to be an all-American, despite qualifying in the last spots.

Initially, Meythaler was not accepted in the 1,500 meter run; she was the 21st spot. Another runner, however, was unable to compete, so Meythaler was added to the meet.

Roberts said at nationals it doesn’t matter where an athlete qualifies. “Anything can happen,” he said.

Ola Adetiba qualified in the 20th spot in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Roberts said he likes her chances of becoming an all-American.

Roberts explained the first eight finishers earn all-American honors. Also, the top eight American-born runners will be named an all-American.

Roberts said she could finish 10th and still earn all-American honors if two international athletes finish ahead of her.

“I told her, ‘You beat 10 people, and you could be an all-American,'” Roberts said.

Szlendakova will make her second appearance at the national meet in the heptathlon. As a freshman, she finished 10th.

Szlendakova said she needs to improve her performances in the javelin, 200-meter dash and high jump to place well. She said she definitely wants to be in the top eight and be an all-American.

Roberts said the third through eighth spots are wide open and that Szlendakova could finish in the top five.

Men’s track and field head coach Steve Lynn is optimistic with his athletes, saying they all have a good shot at placing.

The highlight will be the 1,500 meter run. Daniel Kinyua will go into the race ranked as the fourth best runner in the nation. “He’s going to try and win the thing,” Lynn said.

Kinyua automatically qualified for the meet with his time of 3:41 last month.

Lynn said that Kinyua is a smart runner. “The tougher the race, the better he performs,” Lynn said.

Senior Jamie Beyer, a seven-time all-American, will be coming into the shot put as a big underdog.

Lynn said he hasn’t had a great year, but Beyer is “certainly capable” of getting off a good throw and placing in the top eight.

Zech Schiebout will finish off his great year, as he set his personal best in the discus, and placed second in the Big 12 championships. Schiebout has a chance to place; he has been consistent all year and he has beaten several throwers that are ranked ahead of him.

Joey Brunkhorst will compete in the high jump and will have a good shot at placing, Lynn said.

Lynn said Brunkhorst had cleared 7 feet 3 inches a couple of times this year and can consistently clear 7 feet.

“If he clears 7-3″ in his first couple of jumps, I guarantee he will place,” Lynn said.

Lynn said the weather may pose a problem for the runners. He said the forecast is for hot weather, and his runners haven’t had any practice in warm weather yet, so it will not be to their advantage.

The 2000 NCAA track and field championship meet will get underway Wednesday and finish up June 3.