DETROIT, Mich.-Marygrove College, located in northwest Detroit, recently announced the addition of track and field to its fast-growing intercollegiate athletic program. The addition of track and field brings the total number of intercollegiate sports on the campus to nine.

Last year the College added five sports: men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, and women's volleyball.

The newest Mustang program will be only the second intercollegiate track program in the city as well as Wayne County. Marygrove hopes to draw more students to its campus from the large pool of track talent in metro Detroit.

The new program will be headed by current cross country coach, Lee Shaw. Shaw brings a wealth of knowledge to the program and will play a major factor in the success of the College's distance runners.

"Top-level distance runners want to compete year-round," said Shaw. Adding track and field will provide those runners with an opportunity for constant competition by way of cross country in the fall, indoor track and field in the winter, and outdoor track and field in the spring. Sprinters will also be able to compete in the indoor and outdoor seasons and be a huge factor in our team success," added Shaw.

"We are always looking to build programs that encourage students to consider Marygrove College to further their education," said Dave Sichterman, Marygrove's Athletic Director. Our athletic program has proven to draw students to our campus and we are extremely excited to add track and field which has a rich history in the city."

For athletes, the most intriguing aspect of the sport is exposure to the high level of competition. Due to the structure of intercollegiate track and field, Mustang athletes will have a unique opportunity to compete against some of the world's finest as Shaw envisions entering his teams in nationally renowned events like those hosted by the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University.

Marygrove College is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Mustangs are currently pursuing conference membership within the NAIA. The NAIA encourages its member institutions to promote leadership and character development through sports with its Champions of Character program. Champions of Character promotes five core values: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.