WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota track and  field coach Niels Anderson unveiled his 2016 Cardinal teams on Saturday at the Cardinal Early Birdinal—and the squads put on quite a season-opening performance.
 
Bryan Ortman led the way for the Cardinal men, placing first in both the long and triple jumps—two of the men's four first-place finishes—and Maria Missurelli's first in the pole vault led the way for the Saint Mary's women at the five-team, non-scored event.
 
Ortman posted a leap of 6.61 meters in winning the long jump, then added a 13.68-meter jump in the triple jump to pick up his second win of the day. Morris Dennis—an NCAA Division III outdoor national qualifier, added a first-place time of 51.46 in the 400, while James Davis won the 55, stopping the clock in 6.73.
 
Benton Kodet finished third in the 800 (2:08.69), while Joe Gardner was third in the shot put (9.38) and fourth in the 55 hurdles (8.64). Desmond Steward chipped in a fourth in the long jump (6.23 meters) and a seventh in the 55 (6.92), while Ryan Winegardner was fourth in the 800 (2:15.56), Jacob Hagen-Erickson was fourth in the long jump (6.28), Ross Kinderman was fifth in the long jump (6.07), and Phil Emmerich was fifth in the 55 hurdles (9.03),
 
Missurellii was the top finisher for the Cardinal women, clearing 2.76 meters in winning the pole vault, while Clare Siska was fifth in the 200 (29.64) and 12^th in the 400 (1:04.00), and Olivia Kostueck and Madeline Eichers added 11^th-place finishes in the shot put (8.09 meters) and weight throw (12.26 meters), respectively.
 
The Cardinals are back on the track next Saturday, as Saint Mary's travels to Menomonie, Wis., to take part in the UW-Stout Open.