LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Missouri State track and field team combined for six personal bests and 10 top-five performances at the indoor season opener on Friday. Kelli Bowen grabbed two personal bests, while Daijha Heron and Marissa Kurtimah both recorded two top-three performances in their respective events.
 
On the track, Kurtimah paced the Bears, finishing second in the 60-meter dash in 7.50 seconds before clocking in the winning time of 24.75 seconds in the 200-meter dash. The junior edged Kansas' Nicole Montgomery by 0.03 seconds to take the 200-meter dash title. Three more Bears – Maya Genard (26.00), Taryn Smiley (26.07) and Sidne' Williamson (26.35) – recorded top-10 performances in the event.
 
Erin Roebuck and Kadisha Francois finished second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter dash with times of 58.91 seconds and 59.03 seconds, respectively. In the 60-meter hurdles, freshman Chicago Bains led the way for MSU, finishing sixth with a time of 8.94 seconds. Bowen and Olivia Ott also competed in the event, setting personal best times of 9.57 seconds and 9.71 seconds, respectively.
 
In the field, weight throwers Melanie Raterman, Brittany McPike and Mirissa Massey pushed to top-10 finishes that included personal best marks from Raterman (16.37 meters) and McPike (15.98 meters).
 
Jumping specialist Heron finished second in the triple jump (11.92 meters) before guiding the Bears in the long jump with her third-place mark of 5.38 meters.
 
Missouri State will continue the indoor season after the turn of the calendar at the Missouri Invitational (Jan. 20) in Columbia, Mo. at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.