BROOKINGS, S.D. - The Drake University men's and women's track and field teams opened their indoor season with more than 40 top-10 finishes at the South Dakota State Open Saturday afternoon.

"It's exciting to watch the team compete knowing that we are in really good shape and that we have another month to tweak some things that will make us even better," said Drake head coach Natasha Kaiser-Brown.

Steven Jordan (McFarland, Wis.) returned to the track and began his senior season with a first-place finish in the 300 meters and a time of 34.63 as one of the Bulldogs' three men's first-place finishes on the day. 

Drake's women's team recorded four first-place finishes with Samantha Nielsen's ​(Maplewood, Minn.) 5:13.87 mile leading the way. The sophomore ran a poised and relaxed race before finishing strong to take top honors and record a personal best by nearly four seconds.

Mary Young (Urbandale, Iowa) made an incredible Drake debut as the freshman won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.63, the fifth-fastest time in the nation to date. She was joined by two other Bulldogs in the finals of the event to continue the Bulldogs' strong hurdling legacy. Destani Welch (Des Moines, Iowa) was second in 8.79 while Virginia Hill (Haymarket, Va.) was seventh. Hill also took top honors in the 300-meter hurdles with a first-place time of 44.84.

The men's hurdle events saw the debut of Hudson Priebe (Chamberlain, S.D.) who finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (39.21) and sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.52) in his home state.

Saturday's competition will give the Bulldogs plenty to build on as they have more than a month until their next competition, the Holiday Inn Invitational on Jan. 16-17 in Lincoln, Neb.

South Dakota State Open Dec. 6 - Brookings, S.D.   Drake Women's Results 60 Meters (Finals) 5. Danyelle Cole, 7.87 8. Taryn Rolle, 8.04   60 Meters (Prelims) 3. Danyelle Cole, 7.82 7. Taryn Rolle, 7.98 9. Jessica Campbell, 8.02 10. Rai Ahmed-Green, 8.16   200 Meters 5. Mary Young, 25.48 9. Kaylen Rettig, 26.15 12. Destani Welch, 26.82   300 Meters 2. Rai Ahmed- Green, 40.85 3. Danyelle Cole, 40.89 6. Lisa Huska, 41.89 7. Jessica Campbell, 41.96   800 Meters 1. Kayla Guiliano, 2:24.12 3. India Knight, 2:26.18 4. Celeste Arteaga, 2:28.18 5. Cassandra Hardy, 2:32.51 6. Shelby Varney, 2:32.67   Mile 1. Samantha Nielsen, 5:13.87 3. Laura Gann, 5:21.89   60-Meter Hurdles (Finals) 1. Mary Young, 8.63 2. Destani Welch, 8.79 7. Virginia Hill, 9.42   60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims) 1. Mary Young, 8.74 3. Destani Welch, 9.06 8. Virginia Hill, 9.55 17. Lisa Huska, 10.81   300-Meter Hurdles 1. Virginia Hill, 44.84   4x400-Meter Relay 3. Ahmed-Green, Cole, Young, Hill, 5:54.91 5. Knight, Campbell, Rettig, Guiliano, 4:01.97 9. Gann, Arteaga, Hardy, Nielsen, 4:08.32   High Jump 5. Jaclyn Aremka, 5-2.25 13. Taylor Patton, 4-10.25   Pole Vault 7. Kathryn Ambrose, 10-0   Long Jump 2. Kayla Bell, 17-8.25 8. Taryn Rolle, 16-10.5   Triple Jump 3. Kayla Bell, 38-4.25

​South Dakota State Open Dec. 6 - Brookings, S.D.   Drake Men's Results 60 Meters (Finals) 3. Kai Asberry, 7.02 5. Kendall Owens, 7.05   60 Meters (Prelims) 3. Kai Asberry, 7.00 6. Kendall Owens, 7.06 19. Nihad Ejubovic, 7.44   200 Meters 1. Kendall Owens, 21.99 10. Nihad Ejubovic, 23.48   300 Meters 1. Steven Jordan 34.63 2. Kai Asberry, 35.00 12. Zachary Elkins, 36.44 15. Cory Erickson, 37.49   800 Meters 3. George Webb, 1:57.82   1,000 Meters 1. James Saxton, 2:30.09   Mile 5. Calvin Quarterman, 4:32.89   60-Meter Hurdles 6. Hudson Priebe, 8.51   60-Meter Hurdles (Prelims) 5. Hudson Priebe, 8.52   300-Meter Hurdles 2. Hudson Priebe, 39.21   4x400-Meter Relay 2. Asberry, Jordan, Priebe, Owens, 3:20.08 6. Elkins, Saxton, Vincent, Erickson, 3:26.22   High Jump 8. Ryan Cook, 6-4   Pole Vault 10. Adam Perkins, 12-7.5 11. Matt Schimek, 12-7.5   Long Jump 5. Johnathan Osifuye, 21-11.75 17. Sean Buczek, 19-2.5   Triple Jump 4. Johnathan Osifuye, 47-2.5 6. Ethan Turner, 44-7.5 8. Sean Buczek, 43-7.25