MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University track and field teams began the outdoor portion of their season Saturday, competing at the STU Bobcat Season Opener in Miami Gardens. Both the men's and women's teams finished second in fields of the seven teams, with the women placing on the podium in six events and the men doing so in four. 

The women's efforts included two individual wins, coming from Sun Conference indoor champion Theresa Long and sophomore Lucia Zvonar. Long, the SUN indoor champion in the 800 meters, showed why she is one of the best middle distance runners in the league, crossing the finish line first in the 800 at 2:23.29. Zvonar earned her first individual title in the triple jump, earning gold unopposed with a mark of 9.43 meters.

Ave Maria's women added three silver medals to their tally in two field events and a relay. Caitlyn O'Brien finished second in the long jump with a mark of 5.42 meters, and Rebecca Perona was second in the shot put, recording a throw of 11.26 meters. AMU also finished second in the 4x400 relay, as the team of Emma Perreault, Carol Long, Felicity Foxhoven, and Theresa Long clocked in at 4:24.52. The Gyrene medalists were rounded out by Maria Talafuse, who took bronze in the 5000 meters with a time of 22:13.47.

On the men's side, the medal haul included two silver medals and a pair of bronze medals. SUN indoor champion Adam Paga finished second in the 800 meters, just one second behind the gold medalist from Florida National. Donald Chester added a second place finish in the discus throw, recording a throw of 29.23 meters, better than five of the other six competitors. 

AMU's medal tally was rounded out by two men's bronze medalists, one each in track and field events. Christopher Hermann crossed the finish line third in the 5000 meter race, clocking in at 16:19.07. Tobio Scienzo added to the Ave Maria team score in the shot put, finishing third overall with a throw of 11.21 meters. Scienzo narrowly edged teammate Gavin Lepore for the bronze, as Lepore's throw was less than two inches shy of his teammate's .

Saturday's meet will be the first of four outdoor meets before The Sun Conference Championships are held in Daytona Beach in April. Ave Maria will return to Miami Gardens in just under four weeks for the STU Spring Break Battle, held Friday, March 17. That event, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., is the second of three meets on the St. Thomas University campus in which the Gyrenes will compete in.