MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Ave Maria Track and Field team competed in the STU Open Friday and finished in second place on both the men's and women's side of the event. The Gyrene men finished second out of 10 teams while the Gyrene women finished second out of six teams.

It was a day of personal bests for the Gyrenes and even a few of school records. Both John Halverson and Madison Thomas set the school record for the 3000 steeplechase. Halverson finished with a time of 10:24.10 and Thomas finished with a time of 12:08.98.

In the women's 4x100 meter relay, Casey Humphrey, Elena Barnes, Allison Watkins and Alexis Mendlik set the school record with a time of 51.22.

The other school record was in the men's 4x400 relay with Michael Long, Joseph Flynn, Benjamin Freeze and Daniel Kupcho teaming up for a time of 3:23.49.

Long also ran a PR in the 400 meters, finishing with a time of 47.97. It is the second fastest time in the 400 in the Sun Conference this season and is just off the NAIA B standard.

Over at the high jump, Molly From continued her record setting season by hitting a mark of 1.63 m. That is nine centimeters higher than her previous best, which was set at the Sun Conference Indoor Championships and won her the gold medal. That mark is also the best in the conference, 19^th best in the NAIA and, like Long, just off the NAIA B standard.

Staying in the field events, Sam Todzia competed in the javelin throw for the first time in his career and set a high mark of 45.83 meters. That is the 10^th longest throw in the Sun Conference this season.

In the discus throw, Donte Brooks hit a personal best with a mark of 30.88 meters.

Back on the track, Connor Coyle and Andrew Graham both set a personal best in the 5000 meters at 16:31.08 and 16:33.51, respectively. They, along with Christopher Hermann, finished second, third and fourth in a field of 10 runners.

On the women's side, Regina Baird broke 20 minutes for the first time, finishing at 19:51.11.

"I am really happy for her. That's been a goal for her for a while," said head coach Alan Webb.

The meet did not offer an official heptathlon so Lucia Zvonar did the events she could and set a PR in all four of them. First she hit a mark of 21.49 in the javelin throw and then broke five meters in the long jump with a mark of 5.18 meters. Next, she finished the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.23 seconds and finally hit a PR in the 800 meters with a time of 2:37.73.

The last big race for the Gyrenes was in the men's 800 meters. Samuel Paga almost had a PR but still finished in a strong fourth place out of 20 runners with a time of 1:57.92. Right behind him in fifth place was Freeze, hitting a PR with a time of 1:58.26. That time now gives Freeze a chance to make the conference final in a few weeks.

As a team, both them men and women finished in second place, both behind host St. Thomas.

The Gyrenes have one more meet in the regular season Friday, April 11, in West Palm Beach at the Keiser Spring Open. It is the final tune up meet before the Sun Conference Outdoor Championships April 26-27.