July 16, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois women's track and field will have two representatives at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Athletic Association Under-23 Championships this weekend, with Alecia Beckford-Stewart and Aja Evans set to compete at the international meet. The NACAC Under-23 Championships will be held from July 18-20 in Toluca, Mexico.

Beckford-Stewart will represent Canada and compete in the heptathlon. The Brampton, Ontario native is coming off a career-best performance at the Canadian Olympic Team Trials earlier this month, where she scored 5,210 points in the multi-events. The incoming junior has scored in the pentathlon or heptathlon at four consecutive Big Ten Championships, including taking fifth at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships this year.

Evans was selected to represent the United States in the shot put, where she owns a personal-best mark of 55 feet, 10 ½ inches that won her the Big Ten outdoor title in May. The Chicago native recently competed in the event at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and will be one of the top returning throwers in the country in her junior season.

The NACAC Under-23 Championships are held every other year, with the top young athletes from over 30 nations competing, most notably the United States, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Mexico. Every country is allowed two representatives per event. Invited athletes must meet the qualifying standards and be between the ages of 20 and 22 by December 31, 2008.