MARYVILLE, Mo. -- In the opening meet of the 2021-22 indoor season, Missouri Western track and field saw a pair of Griffons post NCAA provisional qualifying marks as Dallas Thompson won the shot put and Hanna Williams finished second in the 400 meters at the Mel Tjeerdsma Open. Thompson's mark of 16.88m (55-4.75) is a personal best for the senior, nearly two feet better than his previous indoor best.

While Williams's time of 56.77 was shy of her personal best, it was three-hundredths of a second better than the provisional qualifying time set by the NCAA, and she was one of three Griffons to finish in the top 5. Aneesa Abdul-Hameed (58.48) finished fourth in the event, edging Kristi Ewing (59.82) in the third heat.

In addition to Thompson's win in the shot put, Missouri Western saw two first-place finishes on the women's side and one win on the men's side. Riley Gorham won the mile with a time of 4:20.23, while Alexis Adams took home the gold in the 800 meters with a 2:19.07 mark and Megan Gillen won the mile, clocking in at 5:18.25.

The track and field teams return to Maryville after the new year, taking part in the Northwest Open on Jan. 22.