BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—It is title defense time.

The Northwestern State women's track and field team is aiming for a fourth consecutive Southland Conference indoor team crown, while the men aim to rebound from its sixth-place finish in 2025.

The championships begin Wednesday at 8:30 with the men's heptathlon and the women's pentathlon.

Prior to 2023, the NSU women had not taken home a team conference championship but have won five of the last six championships in the indoor and outdoor seasons.

The running events start at noon with the 5000-meter run for the women, while the women's weight throw and pole vault begin at 1 p.m.

It picks up against with the finishing of the men's heptathlon at 9:40 a.m. on Thursday.

Despite losing key pieces from last year's title, the Lady Demons have re-loaded. Many athletes for both sides are finishing the indoor season strong.

"We're anxious, nervous, a little bit of everything," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "It's going to be really tough for the women to the win again since there some really good teams in our conference and everybody wants to beat the defending champ. We have a target on our back since we've won three in a row, but we're still one of the favorites and we'll go out there and give it our best."

No women's team has won at least four conference indoor team titles in a row since Stephen F. Austin took home five straight titles from 2009-13.

While the men have not won the indoor crown since 2001, the Demons have finished in the top three on three occasions since 2018, including a second-place finish in 2023.

On the women's side, sprinters Margaret Conteh and Rushana Dwyer are hitting their stride.

At the Jarvis Scott Invite, she was a part of the 4x400 relay team that smashed the Southland Conference record, as Conteh, Rushana Dwyer, Kahliyah Anderson and Dhakiya Blake ran a 3:32.47 to place second in the meet, only trailing home school Texas Tech, and broke NSU's own conference record.

"To get another championship, it will take everybody at their best," Conteh said. "We just need to go out and do what we've already been doing."

Her 53.23 in the 400 and 24.18 in the 200 rank third and seventh in the SLC, respectively.

Dwyer, a transfer from South Florida, is poised to be a school record breaker in her one season at NSU. She joined Conteh on the relay team that broke the Southland record and also ranks second in the 400 in the SLC.

The women aren't the only ones who are fast on the track, as the men are also dominant as well.

William Achee, a school record holder in the 400-meter dash and as a member of the 4x400 relay team, is second in the Southland in the 400 and sixth in the 200.

Achee is one of three in the top six in the conference in the 400, as he is joined by Kason Jones and Desmond Duncan.

The Demons have three in the top five in the 60-meter dash, led by Kalen Beavers and Keontae Gaines, who are tied for third with a time of 6.70. Koen Beavers is right behind them in fifth with a time of 6.71.

In the field, Donroy Brown and Roy Morris for the men and Samari Finney and Ryah Dates on the women's side are toward—or at—the top in their events.

Brown, the reigning SLC Men's Field Athlete of the Week, leads the charge in the men's shot put, while Morris is tops in the men's long jump.

"Donroy has been really close the last few meets," Heimerman said. "We're not quite where we want to be, but that is always the mentality of a coach and athlete—you always want more. He is slowly getting back into shape from where we were off of Christmas break.

"We did some things a little different over Christmas break since it was taking a little bit to get his timing back all dialed in. It's coming together for him, which hopefully leads to a big week."

Finney is the No. 1 competitor in the women's long jump and Dates is fourth in both shot put and weight throw.

Following the indoor championships, NSU opens the outdoor season with an in-state rival to Lafayette for the Louisiana Classics, unless someone makes the indoor national championships, which start March 13.