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KENNESAW, Ga. – Andre Dorsey and Bilal Abdullah of the Kennesaw State men's track and field team will compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Randall Tyson Track Complex. The two-day event  begins Friday, March 13.
 
To qualify for the indoor championships, athletes must appear in the top 16 of the computer rankings at the end of the conference championships. Dorsey enters the championship meet ranked 11th in the heptathlon while Abdullah ranks 12th.
 
"The indoor NCAA championships are really something special because you can't just be great, you have to be one of the best in the nation just to get here," Andy Eggerth, director of track and field and cross country, said. "Because of facility limitations only 16 athletes per event get into the indoor championships; whereas 96 per event get into the outdoor NCAA Championships."
 
Abdullah enters the Indoor Championships on a high note after winning the Heptathlon at the Atlantic Sun Conference Indoor Championships that were held Feb. 28 and Mar. 3. The Owls junior set the conference meet record with a total score of 5,600 points shattering the old record by 440 points.  He won three of the seven heptathlon events, setting conference championship and school records in each of those events.
 
The Snellville native is excited for his opportunity to compete in the indoor championships.
 
"All thanks is due to God for allowing me to push forward throughout the years through injuries, trials and tribulations to allow me to finally reach nationals," Abdullah said.  "It has been a long time coming, and I am just glad with the help of God, family, teammates, and friends that I finally got a taste of this moment."
 
Since being on campus, Abdullah has continued to work hard and improve and it has showed on the track this season.
 
"Bilal on the other hand has continued to develop in areas: particularly the pole vault," Eggerth  said. "As speed and power levels rapidly improve, technique and rhythm can be disturbed, so it's a blessing but also a challenge to manage. I'm very excited to see what Bilal can do this weekend."
 
Dorsey qualified for nationals after a very strong performance in the heptathlon at the Jack Johnson Classic. Dorsey won the event with a meet record 5,644 points, breaking the old record by 149 points. Dorsey collected event wins along with school records in the 60m dash, high jump, and long jump.  His best performance of the heptathlon came in the long jump where he set a meet, facility, and school record with a jump of 7.53m (24'8.50").
 
This will be Dorsey's third time competing in the indoor track and field championships.
 
"It feels very humbling to be at this meet for the third year in a row," Dorsey said. "We are surrounded by some of the best athletes in the nation and some of them in the world. The circumstances aren't favorable with a slight injury, but then again when are things ever going 100 percent in your favor? I'm here to do everything to the best of my ability, while staying within my limitations and making my city, my school, my team and my family proud."
 
"Andre hasn't been able to train fully for the last six weeks due to a nagging injury," Eggerth said. "He's rested, but it's hard to periodize training going with plan B. If he can just repeat what he's done, we'll be very pleased."
 
The heptathlon consists of seven events that will take place on both Friday and Saturday. The 60m, long jump, shot put and high jump will take place on Friday morning and the 60m hurdles, pole vault and the 1,000m will take place on Saturday.
 
The championships will begin at 11 a.m. (ET) on Friday (Mar.12) and at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday (Mar.13). Action from both days will be shown live on ESPN3.
 
Keep up with Owls track and field teams by following KSU on Twitter at @KSUOwlNation and @KSUTrackFieldXC or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.