PITTSBURG, Kan. – Although the contingent that Missouri Baptist Track & Field took to the 7^th Annual PSU Indoor Gorilla Classic was small, it packed a mighty punch on Friday and Saturday with new NAIA qualifying marks in the Women's Distance Medley Relay, Men's 5000-Meter Run, and Women's 1-Mile Run. The Spartans went toe-to-toe with some of the more elite athletes from several NCAA DI, DII and NAIA programs.
 
Highlighting the first day of action was the 4000m Distance Medley Relay made up of Mia Reed, Madison Sargent, Isabel Rinkenberger and Emily Bayer. After failing to qualify at the Principia Relays two weeks ago, the Spartans made the most of their opportunity going head-to-head with elite athletes from several NCAA DI, DII, and NAIA programs. With a final time of 12:19.76, MBU's Distance Medley Relay placed eighth out 19 teams and cleared the NAIA 'A' standed by six seconds. The 12:19.76 currently ranks 11^th in the NAIA and just two hundredths off a spot in the Top 10.
 
Adding to Friday's excitement was the performance by Donovan Denslow in the 5000-meter run. The distance standout blew past his previous PR by 14 seconds and captured his first NAIA standard (B) crossing the finish line in 15:04.01. Denslow finished 13^th out of 54 competitors in the 5000m.
 
Senior Emily Bayer, who has won back-to-back AMC Track Athlete of the Week awards, made a strong case for a third in a row by posting a PR in the 1-mile run. Additionally, Bayer's improvement in the event was good enough to turn her NAIA 'B' standard in the event (5:12.54) into an 'A' standard (5:06.58).
 
Teammate Mia Reed also rose to the occasion in the mile where she recorded a collegiate PR and an NAIA 'B' standard in the event. Bayer and Reed now rank 16^th and 23^rd, respectively, on the NAIA Top Performance List.
 
Other notable women's performances in Kansas included Nakira Gage, who matched her personal best in the 60-meter dash (8.01), Maegan Saleh, who finished 21^st out of 39 competitors in the long jump (5.24m) and Isabel Rinkenberger, who registered a PR and the top time for the Spartans this year in the 800-meter run (2:22.21). On the men's side, sprinter D'Angelo Cartwright was just .06 off of a PR in the 60-meter dash (7.30), while Wyatt Elliott competed in the 5000-meter run with Denslow.
 
Missouri Baptist is back in action next week at AMC Indoor Track & Field Championships hosted at Principia College in Elsah, Ill.