NORMAL, Ill. – During preliminary action Saturday at the Missouri Valley Conference Track & Field Championship, the Drake University track and field teams advanced 10 competitors to Sunday's finals. In final events staged Saturday, the Bulldogs scored in six events.

One of those scoring performances came courtesy of a huge personal best and the second-fastest time in school history in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase from senior Melissa Parks (Norfolk, Neb.)

Once the javelin, which had been suspended on Friday due to weather, resumed, Drake notched fourth and fifth-place showings from Phillip Beeler (Lenexa, Kan.) and David Silkman (Leawood, Kan.). The pair, which have been consistent performers all season, were led by Beeler's throw of 197-7 while Silkman's best toss went 188-5.

Ryan Cook (Colorado Springs, Colo.) also scored for the Bulldogs in the high jump by clearing 6-6 to finish fifth. The jumps produced points for the women as well with Kayla Bell (Bolingbrook, Ill.) finishing sixth in the long jump at 18-10.75.

In the decathlon, Jeffery Foreman (Winfield, Ill.) held his position from the first day and finished sixth in the grueling, two-day, 10-event, competition with 6,340 points.

Qualifying action was highlighted by Virginia Hill (Haymarket, Va.) throwing down the second fastest 400-meter hurdle time in school history with a personal best of 59.96, the second fastest qualifying time of the day. Freshman Mary Young (Urbandale, Iowa) also advanced in the event by finishing sixth in the prelims with a 1:02.02 finish. Earlier in the day, Young posted the fifth-fastest 100-meter hurdle time of the day in 13.71 to qualify for the finals of that event.

Fellow freshman Rai Ahmed-Green (Irvine, Calif.) also made the finals in her first MVC Outdoor Championship with a personal best of 55.91 that was the third-fastest time of the day.

Sunday's men's 100-meter finals will prove fruitful for the Bulldogs with three competitors in the race's eight lanes. Pierce Vincent (Fayetteville, Ga.), Demetrius Shelton (Markham, Ill.) and Kendall Owens (Carrollton, Texas) all advanced through the preliminary heats. Vincent was third in 10.72, while Shelton was fifth in 10.76 and Owens was eighth in 10.81.

The men's 400-meter hurdles qualifying was also successful with Kai Asberry (Carrollton, Texas) posting the fastest time of the day at 52.26 while freshman Hudson Priebe (Chamberlain, S.D.) was fourth in 52.48. The men's squad also had James Saxton (LaCrosse, Wis.) finish seventh in the 800-meter prelims in 1:53.33 to advance as well.

The Bulldogs return to action on the final day of the MVC Championship at 10 a.m. with the men's pole vault. Competition on the track starts at 11:30 a.m. with the 4x100-meter relays.