San Antonio - The Tiger track & field team opened up its outdoor season on Saturday, hosting the Trinity Open.  The meet, which featured several solid early-season performances, is the first of four home meets that the team will host this season.

The Tiger women got the day started on the right foot with a sweep of the 3000m steeplechase.  Leading the way was sophomore Jackie Newall, who held off first-year teammate Jessica Needle with a time of 12:25.21.  Needle (12:30.11) moved into the Trinity all-time top ten list in only her first attempt at the event.  Rounding out the top three was Colleen Adams, also a first-year runner.

Another first-year getting off to a fast start to the season was Mary Kate Stewart, who became Trinity's eighth fastest performer in the 100m dash with her time of 13.15 - good for seventh place in today's event.  Stewart was also a member of the winning 4x100m relay team for the Tigers, along with fellow sprinters Corey Callahan, Salome Wilfred, and Sara Breshears.  

Much of Trinity's distance talent was consolidated in the 1500m, where Tiger athletes took six of the top 10 spots, led by a strong personal best from sophomore Vanessa Moreno.  Moreno, who lowered her best time from 4:57.05 to 4:52.79, was the top collegiate finisher, and now holds the fifth fastest 1500m in Trinity history.

In the field events, Kelsey Oelze finished third in the javelin throw with a mark of 34.22 meters.  She was also seventh in the shot put, scoring a new personal best.

The Tiger men's distance runners took notice of their female counterparts, and also made a strong showing in the 1500m.  Trinity was led by the standout junior duo of Sal Perdomo and Pancho Escobedo.  The two finished second and third, respectively, and were trailed by another pair of Tigers: first-year Ian Plantz (sixth place, 4:12.83) and fast-closing junior Mark Greene, who ran down most of the field over the last lap en route to his seventh place showing in 4:13.05.

High jumper George Warren started his season in style, narrowly missing out on a win in the high jump with his 1.92m (6'3.5”) clearance.  In the final event of the day, the Trinity 4x400m relay team ran a solid early season time of 3:28.45, good for fourth place in today's competition.  The team will look to lower that time throughout the season as it tries to defend its conference title in that event.

The Tigers will return to action in only six days, competing across the highway at nearby University of the Incarnate Word on Friday, March 2.