WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Midwestern State announced the addition of 13th sport Monday morning with the addition of women's track and field.

"It makes so much sense that one our most successful programs will now have an opportunity to complete its year with a spring track schedule," MSU Athletics Director Charlie Carr said.

The new program will build off of the growing success of the cross country program which was reinstituted in 2005.

The Mustangs have claimed the last three Lone Star Conference championships while advancing to the NCAA Division II Championships in 2008 and 2010.

"We were able to get things going in 2008 and the snow ball has just gotten bigger and bigger," MSU coach Koby Styles said. "Great programs have had to start somewhere and I think our steps have been a little bigger than how most teams have started out. We want to be right in the hunt for a national championship. Adding track and field will help us be one of the best in the nation."

Under Styles' leadership, MSU has produced one United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association All American (Katie Stepp in 2008), six USTFCCCA all-region runners and a Lone Star Conference Runner of the Year (Sydnee Cole in 2009).

"We have lost so many athletes year in and year out just with us not having a track program," Styles said. "I feel very fortunate with the success we had with just being a cross country program because athletes want to compete throughout the year."

The Mustangs enjoyed a stellar unofficial showing on the oval this spring as the team claimed seven gold medals while competing in five meets.

Styles is hoping this is the first step to growing a competitive track program at MSU.

"Right now, we're taking it one step at a time and concentrating on the distance side of track," he said. "Hopefully, this can eventually turn into a full blown track and field program."

Midwestern State begins the track and field program with no additional funding in 2011-12.