Tallahassee, Fla. — The Western Kentucky University track and field teams had their first team competition of the outdoor season Friday and Saturday in the Florida State Snowbird Invitational at Mike Long Track.

Highlighting the weekend for the squads was the Lady Topper 4x400-meter relay team of Miaie Williams, Kellie Morrison, Alecia Brown and Valerie Brown won the event in a regional-qualifying effort of 3:41.07 – which ranks as the third-fastest time ever recorded by a WKU team.

In other relay action, the Lady Topper distance medley team of Ashley Moore, Faith McMinns, Eimear O'Brien, and Natalie Leeper finished second with a time of 12:21.66, while the sprint medley team of Temi Akojie, Morrison, Williams, and Alecia Brown also took runner-up honors with a time of 4:00.62. To round out the relay performances for the WKU women, the 4x100-meter team of Akojie, Valerie Brown, Morrison, and Williams passed the baton in 46.41 to finish third.

In open competition, Janet Jesang and Eimear O'Brien tied for third place in the 1,500 meters, each running 4:40.61. Meanwhile, a trio of Lady Toppers recorded fourth-places finishes, as Alecia Brown ran 56.28 in the 400 meters, Heather Hammond ran 1:03.16 in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, and Moore ran 11:56.23 in the steeplechase.

In the women's hammer, Sarah Lambrecht finished fifth with a toss of 153-11, while Felicia Yearwood and Geri Brown were sixth and seventh in the shot with puts of 45-2.50 and 44-1.25, respectively.

Leading the Hilltoppers on the weekend was Jason Browhow, who won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in a timeof 53.22. Taking runner-up honors in the steeplechase was Drew Hawkins, who covered the 3,000-meter race in 10:17.00. In the 800-meter run, Steve Wilson finished third in 1:53.22.

In the field events, Matt Taitt finished fifth in the shot put – and second among collegians – with a throw of 53-9.25, while also taking fourth in the hammer at 170-9, and sixth in the discus at 155-9. Also in the throws, Brian Soverns was fifth in the hammer with a toss of 159-8, while also taking seventh in the javelin with a career-best toss of 174-2.

Mandhla Mgijima took third in the long jump with a leap of 23-8.25, while Asa Dew was fourth in the triple jump at 46-10.25 and fifth in the long jump at 21-10.75.

The teams will take next weekend off before running a split squad the first weekend of April at the Florida Relays, Stanford Invitational, and Austin Peay Invitational.