CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College men's and women's indoor track and field teams open the 2017 season on Friday, Dec. 2 as it travels to Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the Birmingham Southern Icebreaker Invitational. Meet time is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Birmingham Crossplex.
 
"We have been working hard since September, and are looking forward to this first meet," said head coach Butch Ard. "We are in a lot better shape this year so far, and I expect us to do well.  There are a lot of Division I schools competing, so we will get to see how we stack up against them in this first meet.  We have everyone back on both teams, and we should have some pretty good results from this meet."
 
Among the returning athletes for the Navy and Gold are a pair of 2016 NCCAA Indoor National Champions on the women's side. Kiana Grant claimed two national titles last season. The Meridian, Miss., native won crowns in the triple jump (38' 5.50) and long jump (18'9.25) in Marion, Ind.
 
Anna Grace Govero, who was the 2016 Women's Indoor Track & Field Wheeler Award recipient, claimed the pentathlon national champion in Marion, Ind., at Indiana Wesleyan University. The Clinton, Miss., product totaled 3,522 points en route to becoming a two-time national champion in the event.
 
Grant will compete in the long jump and 400 meters at the "Icebreaker" this weekend while Govero will run in the hurdles and high jump.
 
On the men's side, Darius Green will compete in the 60 meters while Will Young will run in the 3,000 meters at the "Icebreaker".
 
Young, a native of Nacogdoches, Texas, placed fourth in the men's 5,000 meters with a time of 15:33.50 at the NCCAA Indoor National Championships and recorded a season-best time of 8:57.51 in the 3,000 meters at the Engineer Invitational on Jan. 30, 2016.
 
Green ran a career-best time of 6.97 in the 60m at the Crossplex on Jan. 24, 2016 in the Emory CrossPlex Invitational.
 
After the BSC Icebreaker this weekend, Mississippi College returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Emory Indoor Invitational at the Birmingham Crossplex. Meet time is scheduled for 10 a.m.