JOLIET, Ill. - For the first time since 1999, two Campbellsville University student-athletes captured national championships on the same day Friday. But unlike that day a decade ago in an NAIA swimming pool, these national titles were won both by women, as Tiana Benjamin and Tiosha Beasley each claimed national titles in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Judson University's Memorial Field.

The two Lady Tigers join Lady Tiger NAIA swim champion Cassie Trotter, who won the first and only previous individual women's national title at CU. During that same swim meet, the Tiger men's team added a national title by Richard Blake.

Benjamin, a sophomore from Ft. Knox, Ky., started the day by collecting a school record 3,901 points in the heptathlon to claim the Lady Tigers' first team points of the meet. Later in the afternoon, she competed in her final event of the weekend, winning the javelin national championship with a record-breaking throw of 39.60 meters.

The national title moved Campbellsville into first-place in the team standings. Benjamin is the first women's national champion in the track and field program's history. It is also CU's first national title in a throwing event.

Beasley followed her teammate's success late in the day, claiming the Lady Tigers' first national title in a jumping event. The junior from Bowling Green, Ky., leapt 11.48 meters to claim the women's triple jump national title.

It is the fourth triple jump national title in CU's track and field history, as Beasley joins Detrick Briggs and PJ Randles n the ranks. Briggs, now the CU graduate assistant coach, won the outdoor triple jump in 2009 and 2010, while Randles won the indoor title in February. CU also has a track and field title in the 400-meter dash, captured in 2011 by Xavier Walker.

One other Lady Tiger came within an inch of giving Campbellsville a third national title Friday. Freshman Myra Rose of Louisville jumped a school record 1.60 meters in the high jump, tying Olivet Nazarene University's Rachel Carman, who cleared the mark without hitting the bar. Rose jumped cleanly in her second attempt. The runner-up finish helped keep CU in first-place with 31 team points.

However, CU slid to fourth of 18 teams by the end of the first day with 34 points. Indiana Wesleyan is in the lead with 47.50 points. Greenville College has 47 and Olivet Nazarene has 43.

The NCCAA Championships will continue Saturday with the finals for all track events. Some of CU student-athletes had to qualify Friday to reach the finals Saturday.

Lauren Little set a school record in the 200-meter dash to qualify in third-place with a time of 26.36. She also posted a CU season-best time and personal record of 59.35 seconds to qualify in fifth-place for the 400-meter dash. Starsha Fant and Rose missed the cut in the 400 with times near 1:01.
Nathelie Zetrenne qualified in third-place in the 100-meter hurdles with her third-straight time below 15 seconds this season, running at 14.99.

Both Lady Tiger relay teams qualified also. JaNiqua Horne just missed the cut in the 100-meter dash, finishing ninth in 12.95 seconds.