Is March Madness driving you mad? Are you yearning for some track and field action? Well, don’t fear, the outdoor season is here. With the indoor championships still burning in our recent memories, the outdoor season has begun. Most of us move gleefully to outdoor track, with its promises of warmer weather and, hopefully, faster times. Many of us are aiming for qualifying times that will deliver us to Walnut, California, where the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships will be hosted by Cal Poly Pomona at Mt. San Antonio College, May 22 through 24. At the 2007 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Abilene Christian’s men and the women of Lincoln (MO) University successfully defended their team titles. Abilene Christian picked up their sixth consecutive national championship title, scoring 105.50 points over St. Augustine’s 73 points. Morehouse came in third with 68 points. Lincoln’s women picked up their fifth consecutive national championship title with 82.50 points. Abilene Christian’s women came in second with 69 points over St. Augustine’s with 68 points. There were some outstanding performances in both the men’s and women’s competition. One interesting match-up, which could potentially play out again this season, was the men’s 800 meter run between Adam’s State Nick Lara, who is this year’s indoor champion, and Abilene Christian’s Julius Nyango, who is last year’s outdoor 800 meter title holder. At last year’s meet, Nyango ran 1:49.05 over Lara’s 1:49.76. This year, with both athletes holding championship titles, it should be exciting to see how their seasons unfold. In the men’s 400 meters, the stage has been set for establishing a new crop of stars. The top three finishers from last year’s national meet were seniors who have moved on leaving the race wide-open. In last year’s 5000 meter run, the Chico duo of Charlie Serrano and Scout Bauhs finished first and second, running 14:08.12 and 14:08.32 respectively. Bauhs did this was after winning 10000 meters with a time of 29:31.93, besting the talented Nicodemus Naimadu who ran 29:32.18. Naimadu and Serrano have since graduated. Bauhs, who has a Flocast blog, has made the U.S. World Cross-Country team and will compete in Edinburg on the 30th of this month. After redshirting this past cross-country season, Bauhs is racing for Chico this season, and thus will be a formidable competitor in the 5000 and/or 1000 meters at the national meet. On the women’s side, expect Lincoln senior and returning outdoor champion in the 200 and 400 meters, Davita Prendergast, to make a statement. Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler was not able to take the double title in the 800 meters and mile at the indoor nationals, but perhaps she will succeed at outdoors. She will have a better shot at it since current 800 meter champion, Venessa Lee, is redshirting this year in order to focus on qualifying for the Olympic Trials. Pixler is the 1500 meter outdoor champion, and thus will be the person to beat. Grand Valley State’s Mandi Zemba, who was the 5000 and 3000 meter outdoor champion, has graduated leaving both events open for new champions. Holding the indoor pole vault record is Minnesota University – Mankato’s Katelin Rains and it will be interesting to see if this translates to outdoors. Much like March Madness, this outdoor track and field season looks to be one fill with excitement and upsets. If any of you, my loyal readers have anyone you would like me to interview, please leave a comment below and I will see what I can do.