PITTSBURG, Kansas -- Midwestern State combined to set four school records and 16 personal bests in the season opener Saturday in Pittsburg State's Crimson & Gold Invitational at the Robert W. Plaster Center.

Senior Nidhi Singh crushed the previous school record in the 800-meter run on the way to winning the event with a time of 2:10.67. The time was the fifth-best in NCAA Division II so far this season, but the Thane, India, native was one of only three Mustangs to come in under Ana Lopez' previous school record of 2:14.57. And tht was set in 2014.

Freshman Maggie Neal finished fourth in the event with the 11th-best time in the national at 2:13.40 as she and Singh came in under the NCAA Division II provisional mark of 2:13.89.

Senior Jadyn Dangerfield finished sixth with a PR time of 2:14.57.

Singh also combined with Neal, Jessie Heath, and Daiza Jones to claim another school indoor record -- and another NCAA Division II provisional mark -- taking fourth in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:46.41, which stands as the fifth-best time in the nation thus far this season.

The mark better the time of 3:50.96 set in 2023 by Jones, Dangerfield, Da'Shrana Sims, and Asia Robertson.

Junior Ella Pando improved MSU's 5,000-meter record by 18 seconds, cruising to an 10th-place showing with a time of 17:39.00, while junior Rosalene Reyes Perez also set a PR with the program's sixth-best time with an 18:14.63.

Pando also took a run at the program's 3,000-meter mark before finishing 11th with a time of 10:21.36 -- just slightly off of Gabby Ruiz' record time of 10:21.03 set back in 2014.

She was trailed by freshman Grace Pineda, who is now fourth on the program's all-time performance list in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:22.81, while sophomore Jaycee Lyons is seventh finishing with a time of 10:27.21.

That duo also led a strong MSU showing in the mile run.

Pineda took third with a time of 5:03.43, while Lyons was fifth at 5:06.28 and senior Nathalia Escontrias took sixth with a 5:06.73. The times were the fastest in nine years for the Mustangs and trailed only Ashley Flores, who raced to a 5:00.56 in 2015, and Bridget Reilly, who ran a 5:01.86 in 2016.

Freshman Hailee Janzen, out of Alvord, Texas, delivered a strong debut with the program's fourth-fasted time in the 200-meter dash (25.37) and the fifth quickest at 60 meters (7.82).

Trell'Kyrah Watkins was also strong in the 200, moving to sixth on MSU's all-time list with a 25.69, while Sims is now ninth, improving her personal best to 26.03.

Watkins (57.51) and Heath (57.84) moved to third and fourth on the school's 400-meter performance list, while frosh Christasia Jones raced to the program's ninth-best time in the event with an opening act of 59.26.

Freshman Kennedy Johnson landed third on MSU's all-time performance list and took 16th in the triple jump with a makr of 34 feet, 11 3/4 inches.

Midwestern State is slated to compete at Oklahoma's Owen Hewett Invitational on Friday, January 17 at the Mosier Indoor Facility in Norman.

Here is how the Mustangs placed in each event at the Crimson and Gold Invitational:
 

Crimson and Gold Invitational

Robert W. Plaster Center
Pittsburg, Kansas

Midwestern State Track Results

60 Meters: 19. Corinne Thorpe, 7.76; 28. Hailee Janzen, 7.82†; 47. Kennedy Johnson†, 7.97; 48. Jazzmine Vickers, 7.98†; 55. Brianna Estrada, 8.07†; 59. Karissa Nixon, 8.10; 87. Amaya Broils, 8.55†.
60 Meter Hurdles: 19. Shalisa Williams, 9.32.
200 Meters: 8. Hailee Janzen, 25.37†; 18. Trell'Kyrah Watkins, 25.69*; 19. Corinne Thorpe, 25.83; 20. Da'Shrana Sims, 26.03*; 40. Karissa Nixon, 26.73; 41. Brianna Estrada, 26.83†.
300 Meters: 41. Shalisa Williams, 44.12.
400 Meters: 10. Trell'Kyrah Watkins, 57.51*; 12. Jessie Heath, 57.84*; 15. Daiza Jones, 58.27; 31. Christasia Jones, 59.26†; 34. Da'Shrana Sims, 59.65; 43. Abigail Cavender, 1:01.39*.
600 Yards: 5. Nathalia Escontrias, 1:27.58*; 19. Abigail Michaelis, 1:38.72†.
800 Meters: 1. Nidhi Singh, 2:10.67*p; 4. Maggie Neal, 2:13.40†; 6. Jadyn Dangerfield, 2:14.57*; 12. Bailee Bowers, 2:22.41†.
Mile: 3. Grace Pineda, 5:03.43†; 5. Jaycee Lyons, 5:06.28*; 6. Nathalia Escontrias, 5:06.73*; 18. Lula Nolen, 5:24.21*; 31. Perla Flores, 5:33.09†; 36. Hallie Kogler, 5:38.00†; 40. Evelyn Daugherty, 5:43.48†; 45. Abigail Michaelis, 5:47.98†.
3,000 Meters: 11. Ella Pando, 10:21.36*; 12. Grace Pineda, 10:22.81†; 14. Jaycee Lyons, 10:27.21*.
5,000 Meters: 10. Ella Pando, 17:39.00*; 16. Rosalene Reyes Perez, 18:14.63*; 26. Lula Nolen, 18:44.34†; 33. Perla Flores, 19:01.20*; 42. Evelyn Daugherty, 20:10.12†.

Midwestern State Field Results

Triple Jump: 16. Kennedy Johnson, 34-11.75†.

Relays

4x400 Meter Relay: 4. Midwestern State A (Daiza Jones, Jessie Heath, Maggie Neal, Nidhi Singh), 3:46.41p; 13. Midwestern State B (Corinne Thorpe, Brianna Estrada, Christasia Jones, Jadyn Dangerfield), 3:58.69.

p - NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time/mark.
* - indicates personal record.
† - indicates first collegiate mark/time.