By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota track and field teams, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships got off to a running start Friday afternoon.
 
Make that a conference-winning start.
 
The Cardinals got a first-place effort from Becca Dup (Albert Lea, Minn.) in the long jump and Brandon Krogman (Owatonna, Minn.)—competing in his final conference indoor championships—in the 800 to lead the way for the Cardinals during the first day of the indoor season-ending conference championships at Macalester.
 
Dup defended her MIAC indoor title in the long jump with a leap of 5.38 meters, while posting a winning time of 1:55.87—narrowly missing the school record—to win the 800.
 
Desmond Steward chipped in a second-place showing in the triple jump, notching a leap of 13.72 meters, while Kody Nicholas was third in the 60 hurdles (8.58). Kyle Lichttenegger chipped in a sixth in the 60 (7.08), with other Cardinal top performances including Dean Marlin in the triple jump (11.51m), Connor Nicholas in the weight throw (13.71m), Tyler Amy in the weight throw (13.10m), and Ben Borash (4:35.99), and Jordan Malikowski (4:40.01) in the mile.
 
On the women's side, Dup added a seventh in the 60 (8.09), while Natalie King was sixth in the weight throw with a throw of 14.10 meters.  Hannah Crowe clocked 1:02.78 in the 400, while Kynzie Smedsrud chipped in a 9.89 in the 60 hurdles, Carley Crone recorded a time of 2:30.16 in the 800, and Hannah Crowe added a 1:02.78 in the 400.  
 
The two-day event concludes on Saturday at Macalester's Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minn.