GENEVA, Ohio – For the third time in four years, the Embry-Riddle women's track and field team earned a top-10 finish at the NAIA Indoor National Championships.  The Eagles finished ninth overall with 24 total points.
 
The final day of competition very exciting for the Blue and Gold as seven All-American honors were earned. 
 
Without a doubt though, the highlight of the day was ERAU senior Ellie Staker claiming the first individual national championship of her already decorated collegiate career in the 800m.
 
Staker moved from the middle of the pack to take the lead at the beginning of the race's second lap and maintained that position for the rest of the race.  The event's second place finisher, Hannah Segrave of Milligan, tried to make a push for the top spot throughout the final 150m of the race, but Staker was able to hold her off to claim her first ever national title with a personal and school record time of 2:09.59.
 
Staker becomes the fifth woman in the history of the Embry-Riddle track and field program to win an individual national championship.  Her title is the 13^th overall in the history of the program.
 
The national title wasn't the only event in which Staker received honors.  Prior to running in the 800m, the Seattle, Wash. native finished second in mile.  Staker was is first place for the majority of the race, but eventual national champion in the event, Hannah Fields, passed her on the final turn and was able to pull out the win.  Both Staker and Fields broke the previous NAIA record in the mile, posting times of 4:41.40 and 4:37.26 , respectively.
 
The third All-America honor of the day for Staker came as part of the Eagles' 4x400 relay team with Kandice Dixon, Kristen Metcalfe, and Martina Tafoya.  The relay squad finished sixth overall and broke the school record they had set on Thursday by posting a time of 3:51.01.  Metcalfe had the fastest split in the race with a time of 55.75, while Tafoya set a personal record as the anchor leg with a split time of 57.10.
 
Metcalfe, a freshman, also became an All-American in 600m.  The Mississauga, Ontario, Canada native set a personal record in the final of the event as she finished seventh overall with a time of 1:34.31.
 
The Blue and Gold also had two freshman compete in field events on the final day of competition.  Stephanie Mueller finished 12^th in the high jump, breaking her own school record with a mark of 1.65m, while Daisha Brown finished 23^rd in the triple jump with a leap of 11.04m.
 
The Eagles had five athletes earn a total of eight All-America honors at the 2015 NAIA National Championships.  The team's ninth place finish is the third highest finish at indoor nationals in program history.