The University of Minnesota Duluth men and women will travel to Mankato, Minn. for the North Central Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The two-day event is scheduled to get underway at 2:30 p.m. and run through Saturday afternoon at the Bud Myers Fieldhouse on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

THE COACH: John Fulkrod is in his fifth season as head coach of the Bulldog women's track and field team. Fulkrod served as an assistant to the UMD women's track & field program for the nine years before taking over the head job in 2001-02. His first season in charge of the women’s program provided much success as he led the Bulldogs to the 2002 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor and Outdoor titles and was named the league’s Coach of the Year for both. The 2006 season marks the first time that Fulkrod will be in charge of both the men's and women's team. Fulkrod took over both teams after long time coach Bill Hudspith resigned after last season.

LAST YEAR: The Bulldog women finished sixth in their inaugural NCC indoor championship meet one year ago while the UMD men placed fourth.

THE TEAMS: The women will be competing against all the NCC teams which include: the University of North Dakota, the University of South Dakota, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Mankato State University, St.Cloud State University, and Augustana College. The men will also be competing against all the NCC teams with the exception on Nebraska-Omaha who does not have a men's team.

YOUNG GUNS: The success this year for the Bulldogs has mostly come off the young newcomers instead of the already established veterans. On both the men's and women's rosters the underclassmen outnumber the upperclassmen by two to one. This years incoming freshmen class has lived up to it's reputation so far this season with three new school records coming off freshmen athletes. Freshman hometowner Brian Ott captured a provisional mark and a school record in the men's 200 meters at the Eastbay Invitational where he ran a time of 22.17. After missing most of the season due to injury, freshman Daniel Kjolsing finished fourth in the men's 200 meters at the Snowshoe Open with a time of 22.96. For the women, it has been freshman Amy Knudson stealing the show. Knudson a true freshman, set two UMD school records with a time of 7.36 in the 55 meters and 7.89 in the 60 meters at the MSU Open. She also recorded a personal best in the 200 meters with a time of 26.55. In the field events sophomore Liz Bachaus finished ninth in the triple jump(35-7 3/4) and 10th in the high jump(5-0 1/4) respectively last week at the Parent's Day Open.

BULLDOG BITS: Last weekend the Bulldogs traveled to the University of Minnesota for two separate events. The Snowshoe Open which included only the men, took place on Friday and on Saturday the women competed in the Parent's Day Open at the same venue. This week marks the start to the indoor championship season with conference meet on Friday and Saturday followed by the indoor national championship in Boston, Mass. in two weeks. On the men's side, UMD stacks up as one of the top teams in conference with many of the high marks on the NCC Honor Roll coming from the Bulldogs. In the 200 meters freshman Brian Ott holds down the second fastest time with a 22.17 and in the 1000 meters junior Sam Anderson has third fastest time with a 2:34.12. In the field events junior James Martinsen has the top mark so far this season with a 53'-1\" mark in the shot put.

On the women's side the Bulldogs also look strong with several athletes holding a top five mark on the NCC Honor Roll. Senior captain Abby Demulling has the fourth fastest time this year in the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:15.23. In the 4x400 meter relay the Bulldogs have the fourth fastest time of the indoor season with a time of 4:00.07. In the field events shot putter Maria Swanson has the fourth highest mark with a throw of 40'-3 1/2\". Other women notables include senior thrower Talia Carpenter who has the second longest throw in the conference this year with a mark of 49'-2 1/4\".

UP NEXT: Any Bulldogs who qualify for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championship will take part in that national event on March 10-11 in Boston, Mass..