MARIETTA, Ohio – The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's track and field team had a strong opening day of the River States Conference Indoor Championships on Friday evening (Feb. 14).

The second and final day of the event will be held on Saturday, February 15 beginning at 9 am (ET).

The SMWC men's team is currently sixth in the team standings with 13 points ahead of West Virginia Tech, Brescia and Oakland City. Rio Grande leads the team scores after the opening day with 83 points. 

The men's meet was highlighted on day one by the outstanding performance by Jerahmia Smith who won the shot put with a dominating toss of 16.34 meters (53-7.25). That mark breaks his own school record and is the No. 11 toss in all of NAIA so far this indoor season. He also scored 10 points for the Pomeroys in the team standings with the performance. Smith will represent SMWC at the NAIA Outdoor Nationals in the shot put in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, March 1.

Darrius Megnin posted a time of 8.08 seconds in the 55 meter hurdles which qualified for the finals and was the third best time in the prelims. Megnin also qualfied for the final in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.24 seconds which was the fifth fastest time in the prelims.

In the 4 x 800 meter relay, the team of Ethan DeHamer, Evan Polley, Jonathan Hayden and Nathan McIntyre recorded a time of 9:15.61 to finish in eighth place.  

Thomas Chapman recorded a ninth place finish in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:33.71. 

The team of Chapman, MiRon Starks, Ethan DeHamer andJonathan Hayden completed the 4,000 meter distance medley relay with a time of 11:23.83 which was seventh place and scored two points for the Pomeroys.

Jaryn Patterson posted a fourth place finish in the pole vault with a mark of 3.75 meters (12-4).