EMPORIA, Kan. - Fresh off its indoor season, the Northwest Missouri State University track & field squads wasted little time in getting after it in its first outdoor competition of the season in Saturday's Emporia State Spring Invite.
 
Caroline Cunningham produced an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:57.69). She captured first-place in the competition. Cunningham set a personal-best and recorded the third-best time in school history in the event.
 
Dakota Schmidt debuted outdoors with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the men's javelin. Schmidt had a toss of 63.57m (208'7") to take first place in the competition.
 
The Northwest women's pairing of Amber Owens and Caroline Cunningham finished first and second in the 5,000-meter run. Owens posted a time of 17:49.16, while Cunningham covered the distance in 17:52.92. Owens secured the fourth-fastest outdoor time in program history, while Cunningham registered the seventh-best time on Northwest's list.
 
Chloe Saenz tallied a third-place finish in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 25.13. She also took seventh in the women's 100-meter dash with a time of 12.62.
 
Lauryn Hill notched a second-place finish in the women's high jump with a lead of 1.55m (5'1"). She was bested by Emporia State's Grace Jacobs in a jump-off for the crown.