ARKADELPHIA – At its June 9 meeting, the Ouachita Baptist University Board of Trustees approved the addition of two new varsity sports: women's indoor track & field and men's track & field.

With this approval, Ouachita moves from 16 to 18 varsity sports, including nine women's sports and nine men's sports. Both new sports will begin NCAA Division II competition in the 2022-23 year. Men's track & field will compete in the Great American Conference. With not enough teams from nearby institutions offering indoor track & field as a varsity sport, Ouachita's new women's team will compete as an independent program. The NCAA sponsors a national championship event in indoor track & field each March.

"It is very exciting to add men's track & field and women's indoor track & field to our athletics programs," said Ouachita Director of Athletics David Sharp. "With the experience and expertise of Coach Steve Guymon and his staff, I feel confident we will continue to make strides toward competing for championships in all of our track & field and cross country teams. The quality—both from athletic and academic standpoints—of student-athletes being recruited will enhance our entire athletic program and university."

Guymon will lead all track & field and cross-country teams at Ouachita, with the aid of two assistant coaches. Guymon began his role with the Tigers in April of 2019 after winning 25 conference championships in 18 seasons as the head cross country and track coach at Harding University. Since his arrival in Arkadelphia, Ouachita has grown from seven students in one program, women's cross country, to a projected 90 students this fall in five programs: three for women (cross country, track & field and indoor track & field) and two for men (cross country and track & field).

"This is exciting news," said Guymon. "Bringing men's track back to Ouachita is important to a lot of people, and giving women more competitive chances by adding indoor track will make our program even stronger. I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Dr. Sells, David Sharp and their staffs for their vision and support. Our team will work hard to represent Ouachita with pride."

Men's track & field was discontinued as a varsity sport at Ouachita at the same time legendary coach Bob Gravett retired in 1994. The program won 14 conference championships as a member of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference from 1928-1994.