The SMU women’s track and field team came out strong at the Iowa State Cyclone Classic this weekend. The indoor competition, held in Ames, Iowa, featured more than 100 collegiate teams.

Senior Gaelle Niare placed fourth in the high jump with a leap of 1.81 meters before she went 5.81 meters in the long jump, taking sixth.

In the distance medley relay, Ilyssa Pettigrew, Chelsea Wells, Nnenna Ejesieme and Jessica Jackson ran a time of 11:55.98, which was good enough for seventh place and a season-best time for the quartet.

Jackson, a senior, also posted a season-best time in the one-mile race with a time of 5:08.15 (34th place). Teammate Pettigrew posted an NCAA provisional time and earned a place in the SMU record books with a time of 2:08.67 in the 800-meter event, taking fourth place. Ejesieme earned yet another season-best time for the Mustangs in the 400-meter event with a time of 1:00.05.

SMU cross-country superstar Rachael Forish made her first indoor competition appearance of the season in Iowa, competing in the 5,000-meter and one-mile events. She finished 17th in the 5,000-meter event with a time of 17:39.72 before placing 49th in the one-mile race with a time of 5:12.23.

Fellow Mustangs Krystal Rodriguez and Sierra Anderson placed 51st and 54th, respectively, in the one-mile event. Rodriguez posted a season-best time of 5:14.16 while Anderson finished with a time of 5:16.42.

In field events, SMU freshman Meagan Berg threw for a distance of 10.11 meters in shot put (56th place) and 14.03 meters in the weight throw event (43rd place). Sarah Siddens, also a Mustang freshman, threw for 9.42 meters in the shot put event, earning her 60th place.

The track and field team takes a break from competition this week as athletes prepare for the Conference USA Indoor Championships in Houston on Feb. 23-25.