While the rest of SMU was on Spring Break, the Mustang track team opened the 2007 outdoor season.

The Cal State Northridge Invitational proved to be a strong beginning for the Mustangs. Seven top-five finishers and three winners emerged from a successful day-long event Saturday.

Alesha Stegemoller took the top prize in the high jump competition with a height of 1.80 meters, just 5 centimeters higher than the second-place finisher. Also winning her event was Jessica Jackson in the 3,000-meter race. With a time of 10:10.90 Jackson beat teammate Anne Gustafson, finishing second, by 19 seconds and Sierra Anderson, who finished fourth, with a time of 10:37.29.

Christina Mueller was another top finisher in the discus event. Throwing a distance of 48.41 meters, Mueller placed fifth less than two meters behind the top finisher in Section A.

The third top SMU finisher was Andrea Kvetova in the javelin with a throw of 47.47 meters.

Rounding out the top five finishers was Ilyssa Pettigrew in the 1,500-meter run. Pettigrew finished the race in 4:32.10 for a second place finish, just a second and a half after the first place runner.

The SMU track and field team with return to competition this weekend in Waco. The Dr Pepper Baylor Invitational will last all day on March 24.