The Missouri State track and field team concluded its 2007 outdoor season Saturday at the NCAA Mideast Regional in Columbia, Mo.,with freshman Leander Ernest turning in the Bears’ top performance of the meet with a seventh-place finish in the 800-meter run.

Finishing with a time of 2:09.05, Ernest came home seven seconds off the pace of Michigan’s Katie Erdman, who won the event with a run of 2:01.99 Saturday, after clocking in with a Mideast Regional record of 2:01.25 in Friday’s preliminary.

Ernest set a new personal best in the 800 on the first day of competition, posting a time of 2:06.33 to qualify for Saturday’s final. The St. Lucia native finished fourth in her heat, but completed the preliminary round with the sixth-fastest time overall to earn a trip to the final. Ernest narrowly missed eclipsing the Missouri State school record, held by Augustina Charles with a top performance of 2:06.30 in 1999.

Sophomore Jamie Vest was the only other Bear to compete on Saturday. The Lebanon, Mo., product finished 20th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a run of 10:58.05.