Hometown Champs at D2 Indoor in Mankato?

Minnesota State, Mankato, the recently crowned men's indoor track champions in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will host next weekend's NCAA Division II Championships with hopes of providing a local backdrop for a hometown titlist.

The NCAA announced the NCAA Division II Championship fields yesterday, and a pair of Mavericks are poised to challenge for NCAA titles.

Anoka High School alumnus Jerrell Hancock, just named the NSIC's men's track athlete of the year, is seeded #2 in the championship's 200-meter field. Hancock has clocked 21.52 for the distance. Only the University of Massachusetts - Lowell's Evan White has run faster at 21.35.

Hancock is also seeded #9 in the 60-meter dash.

Minnesota State, Mankato's Dan Novak will seek the D2 pole vault title that has eluded him in each of his previous three trips to indoor nationals. As a freshman and sophomore, the Wisconsin native was the D2 indoor runner-up. Last year, Novak no-heighted at the meet.

Novak enters the 2012 championships as the #5 seed at 16-9 1/4. Shane Shockey of Ohio's Findlay University is the #1 seed at 17-0 3/4.

Other Minnesota contenders in the meet include Minnesota State, Moorhead's Derek Bredy, the #3-seed in the men's 60m dash and the #4-seed at 200m; teammate Laquone Robinson, the #4-seed in the heptathlon; and Winona State weight thrower Jenny Schuler, the #4-seeded woman in the competition.

Find the entrant lists for the NCAA D2 Championships HERE (men) and HERE (women).

Find additional information on the meet HERE.