MANKATO, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University track and field teams made the most of their final tune-up before next weekend's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships.
 
With competition from some of the top NCAA Division II and III schools in the Midwest, the Cardinals more than held their own Friday evening at the Minnesota State-Mankato Maverick Invitational.
 
Caroline Gearin (Osceola, Wis.) led the way for Cardinal women, placing second in the pole vault, clearing a career-best 3.44 meters — narrowly missing out on breaking the school record of 3.45m, set by Maria Missurelli in 2018.
 
Chris Bulwa (Glenview, Ill.) delivered a blistering time of 22.55 to place second in the 200, while Granton Schneider (Moorhead, Minn.) raced to a fourth-place showing in the 800 — breaking the tape in 1:59.57 — and Brady Johnson (Elburn, Ill.) posted a mark of 12.68 meters to finish fourth in the triple jump to lead the charge for the SMU men.
 
Antonio Cisewski (Custer, Wis.) chipped in a fifth in the long jump (6.60m) and a 13th in the 200 (23.91) for the SMU men, while Aiden Gatz cleared 4.12 meters to place ninth in the pole vault. Garrett Jackson (West Linn, Ore.) finished 10th and Oliver Adamson (Rochester, Minn.) placed 14th in the 200, with Benjamin Kritsberg (Rosemount, Minn.) collecting a 13th in the 60 (7.32) and a 15th in the 200 (23.95), and Caden Fritz (Minnesota City, Minn.) adding a 13th in the hammer throw.
 
Caeli McMahon (Holmen, Wis.) and Abbie Meyer (Sauk Centre, Minn.) delivered fifth- and sixth-place showings in the women's 800, stopping the clock in 2:35.55 and 2:36.06, respectively, while Samantha Munson (Plain City, Utah) clocked an 11th-place time of 8.53 in the 60 and added a 15th in the 200 (28.48). Anna Becker (Cannon Falls, Minn.) and Samantha Kubes (New Prague, Minn.) recorded marks of 13.80 meters to place 12th and 13th, respectively in the hammer throw, and Morgan Wallendal () notched a 14th in the shot put (10.78m).
 
Saint Mary's will close out the indoor portion of its schedule next Friday and Saturday, heading to St. Paul, Minn., to take part in the MIAC Indoor Championships, hosted by Macalester.