FINDLAY, Ohio - The Saginaw Valley State University men's and women's track and field teams competed in the first day of the Division II Team Challenge today (Feb. 5).

There were only a few events run this evening and they included the men’s and women’s 5,000-meter run, the men’s and women’s distance medley relay (DMR), the women’s pole vault, and the men’s weight throw. Saginaw Valley competed very well in these first events bringing in six top-five finishes. On the men’s side the DMR team consisting of seniors Charlie Richards (Goodrich, Mich.), Tony Filipek (Caro, Mich./Kingston HS), and Derek Stone (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer East HS) as well as junior transfer Marion Body (Sterling Heights, Mich.) earned a first place finish timing in with a NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time of 10:08.74. Placing second and fourth in the 5,000-meter run were seniors Steve Genther (Laingsburg, Mich.) and Cortland Seaver (Freeland, Mich.), Genther crossing the line with a time of 14:58.78 and Seaver with a time of 15:13.68.

On the women’s side senior transfer Katie Scott (Mitchell, Ont.) and sophomore Jean Hollerbach (Grosse Point, Mich.) both earned top-five finishes in the 5,000-meter run, Scott finishing second clocking in at 18:32.64 and Hollerbach finishing fifth crossing the line at 18:58.14. In the pole vault, sophomore transfer Elizabeth Willford (Gladwin, Mich.) tied for fourth place clearing a height of 3.35meters.

The Cardinals are back in action again tomorrow (Feb. 6), beginning at 10:30am, as they compete in the second day of the Division II Team Challenge.