The University of Minnesota Duluth women's outdoor track and field team was picked to finish fifth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released Thursday.

The Bulldogs picked up 123 points – nine behind the University of Sioux Falls in fourth place. 

UMD's two NSIC Athletes to Watch were also the NSIC Athletes to watch for the indoor season – junior mid-distance runner Savannah Schley and sprinter/thrower Jacqi Rae. A junior from Loyal, Wis. Schley is coming off an outstanding indoor campaign where she ran an indoor best time of 2:11:31 in the 800 meters, and finished top-30 in the NCAA. Schley also was important to UMD's DMR team, helping the Bulldogs to a provisional mark. Schley finished third in the NSIC Championship final to make the NSIC All-Conference Team.

Rae had a monster NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championship, placing third in the shot put with a provisional throw of 13.73 meters – good enough for an all-conference nod – after finishing fourth and locking in a provisional score of 3,397 points in the pentathlon. The product of  Eden Prairie, Minn. had a pentathlon performance that included a 13.55m throw, good for first, and a fourth place long jump of  5.22 meters.

UMD's first outdoor meet will take place on April 5 in Waverly, Iowa at the Wartburg Outdoor Select at Walston-Hoover Stadium.