LA CROSSE, Wis. — The season-opening indoor season was a rousing success for the Saint Mary's University track and field teams, racking up 19 Top 10 finishes at the St. Thomas Invitational last Friday.
 
And the Cardinals weren't about to rest on their laurels.
 
Saint Mary's collected 11 Top 10 performances — including three women throwers who placed in the Top 5 — and finished fifth in the both men's and women's team standings at Saturday's UW-La Crosse Invitational.
 
Samantha Kubes (New Prague, Minn.) picked up a pair of Top 5 efforts to lead the way for the SMU women, as the senior placed third in the weight throw (15.70 meters) and fifth in the shot put (11.76m), while Morgan Wallendal (Fond du Lac, Wis.) finished right in front of Kubes in the shot put, placing fourth with a toss of 11.96m.
 
Wallendal also added an eighth in the weight throw (12.82m), with Abbie Meyer (Sauk Centre, Minn.) and Anna Becker (Cannon Falls, Minn.) posted sixth- and seventh-place efforts in the 600 (1:56.28) and weight throw (13.44m), respectively.
 
On the men's side, Cade Kloss (Apple Valley, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, clocking a time of 1:29.18 to finish sixth in the 600. Chris Bulwa (Glenview, Ill.) placed ninth in the 200 (22.89) and 10th in the 60 (7.18), with Antonio Cisewski (Custer, Wis.) and Casen Fritz (Minnesota City, Minn.) chipped in ninth-place showings in the long jump (6.18m) and weight throw (13.59m), respectively.
 
The Cardinals are right back in action next weekend, taking part in the St. Olaf Quadrangular in Northfield, Minn.