The national No. 13 UNI men and the Wichita State women have been selected as pre-championship favorites for this weekend’s 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship in Carbondale, Ill., in a vote by league coaches.

The SIU Recreation Center on the campus of Southern Illinois will serve as host for the meet as UNI looks to capture its eighth-consecutive MVC indoor team championship and 10^th overall.  The Panthers garnered 36 points in the men’s poll, securing all six first-place votes.

Raven Cepeda leads the Panthers’ attack with the second-highest heptathlon total in the nation and an automatic qualification into the NCAA Indoor Championships. 

The UNI men have posted eight other NCAA provisional marks in six events, including two relays and hold the best marks in the MVC in 10 events entering the championship.

Indiana State finished second in the poll with 30 points and boasts the other men’s NCAA provisional qualifier in triple jumper Steve Daniel.

The Sycamores boast three leaders on the MVC Best List and look to challenge for the team title after back-to-back runner-up finishes.

Host Southern Illinois received 21 points, just one ahead of Wichita State, in the vote for third place.

Saluki throwers Joe Mueller and Brenton Siemons hold the best two MVC throws in the weight throw and Siemons boasting the conference-best shot put as well. Mohamed Mohamed, the 2006 MVC cross country champion, leads the conference with the best 5,000-meter run.

Wichita State will look to challenge in the middle-distances with Girtz Azis and in the high jump with newcomer Jesee Deal.

Illinois State sprinter Jeremy Johnson is a title contender in the sprints for the Redbirds, who received 10 points in the coaches’ poll.

Drake finished just behind Illinois State with nine points and will be paced by hurdler Derek Johnson as he looks to defend his MVC-best mark in the 60-meter hurdles.

Wichita State, behind a balanced team effort, is the unanimous selection on the women’s side, securing 64 points and all eight first-place votes.

The defending champions Shockers boast an MVC top-five performance in 15 events, holding the top mark in six and the second-best spot in five more.

Linda Feldberga and Brooke Demo are the Shockers’ NCAA provisional qualifiers in the 800-meters and pole vault, respectively.

The UNI women totaled 50 points for second-place in the poll.

Thrower Rachel Jansen holds the league standard in the shot put and the second-best mark in the weight throw and has provisionally qualified for both events at the NCAA Championship.

Indiana State checks in third on the women’s side with 43 points, led by pole vault provisional qualifier Kylie Hutson and distance runner Dani Prince.

Southern Illinois and Illinois State come in with 38 and 36 points, respectively.

The Salukis hold two MVC-best marks, but more impressively, thrower Brittany Riley set the new world record in the weight throw by more than a meter on Jan. 27 at the Gladstein Invitational. 

Illinois State sprinter Devon Williams holds the top time in the 60 and 200-meter events.

Missouri State is sixth with 30 points and is paced by provisional qualifier Leander Ernest in the 800-meters.

Drake and Bradley round out the poll, with the Bulldogs’ distance medley relay team holding the MVC-best time of the year.