HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Coming off a fourth-place team finish at the Midwest Collegiate Championships during the indoor season, the Ashford University women's track and field team opened the outdoor season over the weekend, competing against NCAA Div. I programs at the Southern Mississippi University Invitational.

The Saints opened the outdoor campaign in impressive fashion, earning a dozen top-10 finishes at the meet to set four new school records in the process.

"While it was disappointing that we didn't have any indoor national qualifiers on the women's side, the extra week of preparation helped us get a head start for the outdoor season and the results showed," AU Head Coach Chris Adams said. "It's great to set four new school records in any meet, but to do so in the first outdoor meet of the season is exciting."

Competing for the first time of her career in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, sophomore Nkemdilim Okwumabua of Rockford, Ill., hurdled and ran her way to third with a new school-record time of 13:05.04. The performance breaks the former record in the event by nearly 10 seconds.

The Saints broke a pair of records in both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays as well. In the 4x100, the relay quartet of  junior Laura Minertz of Sterling, Ill., senior Kim Fabry of Oconto Falls, Wis., freshman Myelle Vann of Chicago, Ill., and freshman Channelle Whittington of Rockford, Ill., raced to a fifth-place time of 50.00. Okwumabua replaced Fabry for the 4x400, and the Saints wrapped up the meet with a sixth-place, 4:15.47 performance.

Both relay times now stand as top all-time finishes within the program.

After earning All-MCC honors in the pole vault during the indoor season, freshman Haley Fischer took home third and set a new school record after clearing 2.59 meters (8'6") in the event.

In the high jump, sophomore Heather Ketcham of Byron, Ill., tied the school record after clearing 1.57 meters (5'1.75").

Sophomore Chhutani Berry of Chicago, and junior Natalie Solms of Kissimmee, Fla., each earned top-10 finishes in the high jump, with Berry earning fifth after clearing 1.52 meters (4'11.75") while Solms took eighth with a jump of 1.42 meters (4'7.75").

Solms also competed in the triple jump, where she leaped 10.22 meters (33'6.50") to take home fifth.

Versatile sophomore Sarah Wenzel of Clinton notched a trio of top-10 finishes for the Saints, taking home ninth in the triple jump (9.74 meters, 31'11") 10th in long jump (4.87 meters, 15'11") and 10th in the shot put, recording a throw of 10.68 meters (35').

The Saints earned a top-10 finish in the throwing events from freshman Samantha Gatewood of Lake Village, Ind., who placed fifth overall in the shot put after her throw of 11.49 meters (37'8").

The Saints hit the track again on March 25-26, traveling to Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., for the Viking Olympics.