ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's and women's track and field teams kick off their 2013 indoor season on Friday, taking part in the St. Thomas Invitational. Action starts at 4 p.m.

The St. Thomas Invitational Field:
St. Thomas, Saint Mary's, Bethel, St. Catherine

GameDay Live On The Web:
Video Preview | Heat Sheets & Meet Schedule

The Cardinals' Last Action:
Friday's meet is the season-opener for the Cardinal men's and women's teams. SMU heads into the 2013 indoor season after placing 11th (men) and 12th (women) at last year's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

The Cardinals at St. Thomas Invitational — A Year Ago:
January 20, 2012: Kassondra Burtis (Fairmont, Minn.) led the way for the SMU women, uncorking a throw of 14.38 meters to place sixth in the weight throw, while Jake Traxler's (Le Center, Minn.) fourth-place effort in the 3000 (9:04.73) led the way for the Cardinal men in the non-team scored event in St. Paul, Minn.

The Cardinals Up Next:
Saint Mary's returns to action next Saturday, as the Cardinals travel to Menomonie, Wis., to take part in the UW-Stout Warren Bowlus Open.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013 Rosters: Men | Women | 2013 Schedule | Record Book
Coco Booker (St. Paul, Minn.) highlighted the track and field seasons in 2012, collecting her first All-MIAC honor with a second-place finish in the shot put at the MIAC Indoor Championships, then followed that up with a fourth-place effort in the shot at the MIAC Outdoor Championships. … Booker uncorked a second-place, All-MIAC throw of 12.98 meters indoors, and then added her fourth-place toss of 12.58 meters outdoors. … The SMU men's distance medley relay team of John Soucheray (Woodbury, Minn.), Gabe Thiel (Elgin, Minn.), Peter Borash (Bowlus, Minn.) and Jake Traxler (Le Center, Minn.) shattered the indoor school record, placing ninth at the MIAC Indoor Championships with a time of 10:48.69. … Traxler and Katie Stolz (Forest Lake, Minn.) were the Cardinal record-setters at the MIAC Outdoor Championships. Traxler shattered his own school mark in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, stopping the clock in 9:31.26, while Stolz rewrote the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase mark with her time of 12:12.08.