DECATUR, Ill.. — When the Saint Mary's University track and field team took to the track last Friday and Saturday at the Millikin University Spring Opener, it marked the first time since the MIAC Indoor Championships that the Cardinals had been in a competitive environment.

A span of nearly 30 days.

But you would have never know it.

Theresa Miller (New Berlin, Wis.) posted a first-place finish in the 5,000-meter run, Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) became an NCAA provisional qualifier with her school-record performance in the heptathlon, and Colleen O'Hearn (Champlin, Minn.) recorded top-five finishes in three events as the Cardinals placed sixth in the nine-team field.

"It was great to finally get outside and get back to competing again," said SMU coach Paul Thornton. "I think our performances showed that our athletes are eager to get back on the track and compete after the long layoff we've had since the MIAC Indoor Championships."

Miller certainly didn't show any signs of rust, as she broke the tape in 20:01.11, winning the 5,000 by more than 20 seconds. Dingels, meanwhile, became an NCAA provisional qualifier with her school-record 4,086 points in the heptathlon. Amber Liss (Onalaska, Wis.), meanwhile, clocked a time of 2:20.63 for her second in the 800, while O'Hearn did all of her damage in the field events, placing third in the shot put (35-8 1/2), fourth in the hammer throw (96-5) and fifth in the discus (107-0). Jenny Folgers (McHenry, Ill.) chipped in a third in the 400 intermediate hurdles with a school-record time of 1:09.01, and added a fourth in the 100 high hurdles (17.50), while Colleen Bourque (Waukesha, Wis.) was fifth in the 3,000 (12:31.50).

On the men's side, Jim Baertsch (Winona, Minn.) had the Cardinals' best finish, clocking a time of 10:48.89 to place second in the 3,000 steeplechase. Todd Yankowski (Chicago, Ill.) and Chris Beach (Maple Grove, Minn.) both finished in the top five in the decathlon, with Yankowski taking third with 5,193 points, while Beach was fifth with 4,576.

"This was a very good start to our (outdoor) season," said Thornton. "We had a lot of great individual efforts that hopefully we can continue to improve on as the season progresses."