Nicole Court-Menendez

MITCHELL, S.D. Nicole Court-Menendez has already cemented her place in Dakota Wesleyan University track and field history. The sophomore is the most decorated female athlete in Tiger track history and, this week, she has the chance to add even more accolades to her already impressive career.

Court-Menendez competes Friday afternoon at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. The national championships start Thursday, May 22, and run through Saturday, May 24, at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium.

This marks the fourth straight national championship Court-Menendez has competed in, and she is trying for a fourth straight All-American honor. The Lewiston, Maine, native competes in the 5,000-meter racewalk at 4:10 p.m. Friday. She finished eighth at last year s outdoor national meet, and took eighth in the 3,000-meter racewalk at both the 2013 and 2014 indoor national championships.

After her indoor honor in March, Court-Menendez became just the third Tiger track athlete to earn three All-American honors in her career, joining sprinters Vladimir Micic and Jamey Sperle. An All-American honor Friday would put her in an even more elite group, making her one of just two athletes to have four or more All-American honors. Micic graduated with three All-American honors and Sperle finished his career with seven.

Court-Menendez is already the first female athlete to earn multiple All-American honors at the indoor national championship, and looks to become the first DWU female to earn All-American accolades at more than one outdoor national championship. Tamika Irvin earned two outdoor All-American honors, but both were at the 2012 championships. Court-Menendez is the first female track athlete to earn All-American honors at both the indoor and outdoor national championships.

Court-Menendez qualified for the outdoor national championships April 5 at the Central Methodist Invite in Fayetteville, Mo. Her time of 27:08.6 was good for third at the meet, a personal best by 40 seconds, a school record and was the fifth-best time in the NAIA. It is still the eighth-best time recorded in the NAIA in the 2014 outdoor season. She owns the DWU records in both the 3,000-meter indoor racewalk and the 5,000-meter outdoor racewalk.

Missouri Baptist s Molly Josephs enters the national meet with the fastest time in the NAIA at 24:56.53. Teammate Mereth Zalba is second in 25:03.72, and Cornerstone s Monica Lawrence has the third-best time at 25:28.58. Court-Menendez is eighth, just ahead of Embry-Riddle s Matie Moscoso (27:09.87).