LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State track and field team opened the 2013-14 indoor season at the Bob Timmons Challenge hosted by the University of Kansas on Saturday. The team had some quality marks including multiple wins and provisional marks against field that included multiple Division I programs.

Eli Smith won the men's 400 meter dash in 49.23. Teammate Todd Suntken was eighth in the same event (51.89). The men's distance medley relay won the event in 10:35.49 (Ryan Cox, Tim Grundmayer, Joe Anger, Wick Cunningham). Zac Bendrick won the shot put (14.92) and finished fourth in the weight throw (15.39). The women's 4x400 meter relay team of Alexis Boyd, Chloe Wichman, Audrey Bolinger and Samantha Fender had an NCAA provisional mark of 3:57.00 in a fifth place finish.

Other top performances on the women's side included Ashton Nibert, who placed second in the 600 yard run, finishing in 1:25.66. Teammate Alex Hartwig was ninth in 1:33.45. In the mile, Chandelar Carey was sixth in 5:42.51.

On the men's side, Logann Halloran placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.90. Finishing seventh in the 600 yard run was Zach Dixon (1:15.43), followed by Colin Streicher in ninth (1:17.15). Jake Stansbury was 10th in the 800 meter run (2:05.31).

Northwest will head to the Nebraska-Kearney multi event meet beginning on Dec. 13. The rest of the team will be off until Jan. 17-18 when the Bearcats head to the Holiday Inn Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.