FREDERICK, Md.--In a continuing effort to expands its intercollegiate athletics department, Hood College announced that it will elevate its men's and women's track and field programs to varsity status beginning this fall, increasing the number of varsity sports at the College to 19.

Track and field at Hood debuted as a club sport in March 2004, and the program has shown continuous progress under the direction of Brent Ayer, who has also served as Hood's head men's and women's cross country coach since the inception of those programs in the fall of 2003.

The track and field club enjoyed a record-setting season in 2005-06, which included an invitation as a guest at the Capital Athletic Conference Championships in April, where the Blazers had numerous top-six finishers.

"This is great news for our current student-athletes, particularly Rachel Pectol and Ryan Jenkins, who will now get a chance to compete on this level before graduating," Ayer said. "They have been with me from the start and helped build this. It is also great news for potential recruits and for the Capital Athletic Conference, which will pick up its seventh track school."

Hood will join the CAC beginning this fall and will compete in seven men's sports, basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis and track and field. The Blazers will also compete in two women's sports, cross country and track and field.

The women's swimming and women's tennis teams will compete as dual members of the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference and the CAC before moving solely to the CAC starting with the 2007-2008 season.

Six of Hood's other women's sports, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball, will complete their final seasons in the AWCC in 2006-07 before moving to the CAC.

The Blazer men's and women's golf teams will continue as independents as the CAC does not currently sponsor golf.