BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (3/11/16) – Arkansas State junior Roelf Pienaar and sophomore Kristina Knott each competed in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex to wrap up the indoor slate for the A-State program.

“Kristina did a good job today for her first national meet and will gain valuable experience heading into outdoor,” said A-State head coach Jim Patchell . “Being a second-team All-American as a sophomore is a great accomplishment. Roelf didn't have one of his best days, but still managed to finish ninth. It was a very strange long jump competition. Most of the competitors were having difficulty with their approach runs and Roelf was right in the mix going into the last round.”

Pienaar, competing at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the third-straight season, finished ninth for the second-consecutive year. Pienaar logged a jump of 7.56m (24-09.75) on his third jump to advance to the finals. Pienaar was unable to improve his best on the day and place ninth to earn second-team All-America status from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA).

Knott made her debut on the NCAA Championship level and finished 15th in the 60-meter dash. She posted a time of 7.42 seconds out of lane one in the first of two heats. Her time placed her seventh in the heat and she collects second-team All-America status from the USTFCCCA.

A-State opens the outdoor season next weekend (March 17-19) at the TCU Invitational.