The North Central Missouri College track and field team traveled to Maryville, MO this weekend to compete at the Bearcat Invite, continuing their indoor season with strong performances and noticeable improvement across the board.

The Pirates recorded three new indoor personal records at the meet. Cierra Stigger set a new PR in the 60-meter dash, clocking an 8.04 which was good for 31^st place, while Adeline Dickerson posted a PR in the 400 meters with a time of 1:02.39, 32^nd best. Highlighting the meet was Genesis Bethea, who claimed first place in the high jump, clearing 2.06 meters to win the event.

On the women's side, Jamari Ervin led the team in the 60 meters with a time of 8.03 placing 30^th. Dickerson also doubled back in the 200 meters, running a 27.10 (46^th place) as she continued to build momentum across multiple events.

In the men's sprints, Daimond Kangiela and Don-Divin Ngumbo competed in the 60-meter dash, gaining valuable experience against strong competition. Ngumbo placed 79^th with a 7.26 time while Kangiela earned 87^th place with a 7.31. Nate Giffin represented NCMC in the pole vault, continuing his development in the event.  He took 17^th with a vault of 4.23m.

Coach Francis praised the team's growth and commitment following the meet. "The athletes are really starting to understand how competitive college track is, and I'm super proud of their hard work and how they're getting better every meet," Francis said. "They're starting to execute their events, and that all comes from what they put in during practice."

The Pirates will look to carry this momentum forward as they continue their indoor season, building confidence and consistency with each competition.  Their next meet will be February 21-22 at the Iowa Open, hosted by the University of Iowa in Iowa City.