[Indoor Track and Field] Standards set in Falcons' final tuneup ahead of KCAC Indoor Track ...

Maryville, Mo. – The Friends University Indoor Track & Field Falcons built plenty of momentum this past weekend at the Bearcat Invite to carry into the upcoming KCAC Championship meet.

Caroline Giles, who easily hit the NAIA B standard with a time of 5:05.93 that broke an 11-year-old school record in the Women's One Mile Run, highlighted the Falcons' success in Maryville, Mo. Giles also ran a personal best time in the 800 Meter Run, ranking seventh on the Friends all-time indoor list.

Giles wasn't the only Falcon to nail a national standard, as Jaylen Knight ran a personal best 25.31 in the Women's 200 Meter Dash to hit the NAIA B standard.  Knight's mark is tops in the KCAC this season and second all-time in school indoor history.

The Falcons also received a personal best time from Kendra Blaylock (59.68) in the Women's 400 Meter Dash.

"We really stepped up this weekend in preparation for the KCAC Championships," said Friends track & field head coach Henry Brun. "Jaylen and Caroline punched their tickets to the NAIA National Meet with dominant performances from both of them. Caroline now sits as the best Miler in school history, which is an amazing accomplishment. Kendra had a great 400/600 double weekend and is inching closer to hitting the NAIA standard in both events."

For the Falcon Men, Blake Balch and Trystan Wright each recorded PR's in the Men's 400 Meter Dash.

Balch's time of 49.81 is third all-time on the school's indoor list, while Wright (51.55) now has the ninth-ranked time in the same event.

"We had a flurry of great 400m races from the men's group (Blake, Dectrick (Edwards), and Trystan) and so I am excited to see what they can do at the KCAC meet in attempting to qualify for NAIAs in the 4x400m Relay," commented Brun.  "Eli (Jacobson) and Logan (Anglemyer) looked strong in their 800m races and will be contending for quality places in the open event next weekend as well. Bryan (Sweney) continues to have a steady season in the PV and I believe that he is ready to break through next weekend, as he is the favorite to win the title."

The KCAC Indoor Track & Field Championship meet is set for this weekend (Feb. 10-11) at the Heskett Center on the campus of Wichita State University.

The Falcons have dominated recent history at the KCAC indoor meet, with the Falcon Women winning the past eight conference championships and the Falcon Men finishing last season as the runner-up that earned Brun the KCAC Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year honor.

"Even with a relatively young squad this year, it has been enjoyable to watch the overall level of fight this group has," said Brun. "They want to work to be the best and that is a fire that I can always continue to fuel."