BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Missouri Baptist University Track & Field program got its 2022 indoor track & field season off to an early start heading to Olivet Nazarene University for the ONU Holiday Open on Saturday. Highlighting the season opener were a pair of first-place finishes from Mayson DeRousse and Nakira Gage and numerous personal bests.
 
Newcomer Mayson DeRousse had an exciting MBU debut taking first in the pole vault with a NAIA 'B' standard of 4.65m. On top of the first-place finish, the Maryville University transfer placed in the top-eight in three other events with personal bests in the 200-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and long jump. DeRousse's best attempt in the long jump (6.73m) produced  a fourth-place finish, while his time of 23.64 in the 200 was good for eighth place out of 44 runners.
 
Steven Mcfeders recorded a pair of indoor PRs and finished near the top of the field in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dash. In the 60-meter finals, the junior out of Kansas City, Mo. finished sixth out of 31 participants with a time of 7.25. Mcfeders fared even better in the 200-meter finals scoring a third-place finish and just .05 shy of a silver (23.38).
 
Other top-10 finishes included McFeders in the long jump (9^th), TJ Lawson in the 400 meters (9^th), and Jordan Walker-Wright in the shot put (10^th) and weight throw (10^th).
 
In women's action, sophomore Nakira Gage raced to a top of podium finish in the 60-meter dash placing first out of 24. The Spartan sprinter finished just outside of the Top 10 in the 200-meter dash (11^th).
 
Maegan Saleh recorded a pair of top-five finishes earning bronze in the long jump (5.23m) and tied for fifth in the 60-meter dash. Saleh joined Nakira Gage in the 60-meter dash finals and finished just one tenth behind gage at 8.16.
 
Other top-10 finishes for the women included Hannah Duro in the 400 meters (7^th) and Kennedy Bennett in the weight throw (10^th).
 
The Spartans will be back in action after Winter Break on Jan. 21 at the Saint Ambrose University Bumble Rumble in Davenport, Iowa.