MARYVILLE, Mo. — Griffon Track & Field began the 2023-24 indoor season strong this Saturday, earning six first-place finishes while four program records fell at the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic inside the Hughes Fieldhouse.

TRACK EVENTS - TOP-FIVE FINISHES/RECORDS
Starting off with the men's 60-meter dash, MJ Smith set a new program record in the preliminary round, finishing with a time of 6.92 seconds. He went on to finish fourth in the finals, clocking in at 6.97. 

Alex Thompson broke his own men's 60-meter hurdles record with a time of 8.31 in the prelims. He then broke the record again with a first-place time of 8.30.

Aneesa Abdul-Hameed was a second off from nearly setting a new record of her own, finishing third in the women's 200 with a time of 25.55. 

Smith broke yet another record, this time thanks to a first-place finish in the men's 200 with a time of 21.99. Connor Thom was close behind him, coming in third with a time of 22.28.

Drake Stelljes nearly stole the show in the men's 400-meter run, clocking in with a first-place time of 50.29.

Hopping over to the women's 800, Bailey Cutler took first place thanks to her time of 2:29.66. Reagan Craig took fourth with a time of 2:36.67, and Abigail Smith finished in 2:37.36 minutes, taking fifth. 

In the men's one-mile run, Berhe Usman took second thanks to a time of 4:19.70. On the women's side of the one-mile run, Abby Kinney's time of 5:15.91 landed her in third place. Lillian Cutler took fourth with a time of 5:26.11, and MJ Hagemann took fifth thanks to her time of 5:47.76.

Kinney got back to work in the women's 3,000-meter race, taking third with a time of 10:46.81. On the men's side of the same event, Kayden Crigger took third thanks to his 8:37.73 effort. 

The men's 5,000-meter race saw Ryan Ringgenberg finish in 15:19.38 minutes to take fifth. 

FIELD EVENTS - TOP-FIVE FINISHES/RECORDS
Lucas Trotter set the tone for the field events this indoor season, taking first place with a heave of 16.37 meters. 

Makenzie Garr made her Griffon debut more than memorable. The St. Joseph native took first place in the women's shot put with a record-setting throw of 14.27 meters. With her first career throw, she broke the meet and program record, notching an NCAA Division II provisional mark in the process. Allyssa Mahone's throw of 13.45 meters gave her second place, and Samantha Cerra's toss of 12.90 earned her fourth.

Out in the men's triple jump, Tyrease Dutton-Bicalho notched fifth place with a leap of 13.61 meters. 

Mahone wrapped up MWSU's day in the weight throw, taking second place with a launch of 16.79 meters. All in all, three of MWSU's first-place finishers broke program records in the process. 

UP NEXT
The Griffons will hibernate during winter break before coming back to Maryville on Jan. 20 to compete in the Coach Richard Alsup Cup. On that same day, MWSU will send a split squad to Washburn Rust Buster in Topeka, Kansas.