HOUSTON – St. Edward's women's indoor track and field distance and mid-distance runners excelled at the FasTrak Athletix Collegiate Indoor Last Chance Invitational, notching an event win in the mile and distance medley relay and second-place finish in the 800. 
 
"We're starting to hit our stride. We're still not where we want to be, but I felt like we took some steps in the right direction across the board," St. Edward's Head Track & Field Coach Steven Cary says. "The mid-distance and distance folks showed a lot of strength. They're racing well off moderate training and competed very well."
 
MIA RIVERA clocked a 5:06.39 mile, winning the event. DELANEY LONG gave St. Edward's another top-10 finish, placing sixth at 5:15.56. The Hilltopper had three other runners in the top 20. BRYN PETERS, SAMMY SALAZAR, and JORDAN SANDERS finished one right after the other in 16th, 17th, and 18th, at 3:32.03, 5:33.71, and 5:33.71. 
 
MEGAN FERRELL (33rd, 5:59.69), TAYLOR LATZA (35th, 6:02.72), and ADRIANA RODRIGUEZ (37th, 6:03.23) rounded out St. Edward's mile lineup. 
 
JULIANA MERLO placed second in the 800 at 2:20.70. Sanders (17th, 2:31.09), Peters (20th, 2:32.34), and Salazar (24th, 2:37.52) gave St. Edward's three other top-25 finishes. Ferrell placed 32nd at 2:43.66, ADRIANA RODRIGUEZ in 33rd at 2:47.92, and Latza in 35th at 2:49.36. 
 
CAROLINE WILDRICK paced four Hilltoppers in the 5K, placing ninth at 18:59.48. VICTORIA HOYT crossed a few seconds later in 11th at 19:03.69, and MYLA CASTILLO in 13th at 19:36.58. MAGGIE RITTMEYER placed 26th at 20:36.55. 
 
Long, HAILEY RODRIGUEZ, Merlo, and Rivera won the women's distance medley relay with a time of 12:13.55. 
 
"I have to give a huge shoutout to our women's distance medley relay," Cary says. "We have a solid, poised group. We have to refine some things before conference, but I'm feeling good about where they are and how they attacked the race." 
 
Freshman KARLY WEYAND led the sprinters in two events, placing 31st in the 60 and 23rd in the 200. Weyand clocked an 8.13 in the 60. AUDREY WISTAIN and JASMINE COOKE placed back-to-back almost immediately after, finishing 33rd and 34th at 8.14 and 8.15. Myosia Virgin rounded out the group in 42nd at 8.38. 
 
Weyand, YAMILA CARTWRIGHT, and Cooke gave St. Edward's three top-25 finishes in the 200. Weyand clocked a 26.53, followed by Cartwright in 24th at 26.54 and Cooke in 25th at 26.60. HAILEY RODRIGUEZ (33rd, 26.91), Wistain (39th, 27.22), Mary-Kate Havens (50th, 27.87), and TORI PONCE (66th, 28.78). 
 
HAILEY RODRIGUEZ ran a sub-minute 400 to place 11th at 59.49, followed by Cartwright in 16th at 1:00.74, and Ponce in 38th at 1:05.98. Myosia Virgin led St. Edward's in the 60 hurdles prelims with a ninth-place finish at 9.37, Wistain in 10th at 9.38, and Havens in 19th at 9.81. 
 
"Our sprinters are starting to round into form a little more," Cary says. "They're all getting more accustomed to racing. I saw a lot of fight in them all day." 
 
St. Edward's will close out its indoor track & field season at the Lone Star Conference Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from February 21-22.