RIO GRANDE, Ohio — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's track and field team opened competition Friday at the River States Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships with several point-scoring performances and notable individual efforts.

Senior Abbott Church turned in one of the top performances of the day for the Pomeroys, clearing a personal-best 1.85 meters (6 feet, 0.75 inches) to finish fifth in the high jump and score four team points.

In the hammer throw, SMWC placed two athletes in the scoring positions, led by freshman Lane Milner, who finished sixth with a throw of 44.59 meters (146 feet, 3 inches) to earn three points. Senior Jerahmia Smith followed in eighth place with a personal-best mark of 42.93 meters (140 feet, 10 inches), adding one point.

The Pomeroys also picked up points in the pole vault, where senior Jaryn Patterson placed third with a season-best clearance of 3.80 meters (12 feet, 5.50 inches), earning six points.

On the track, freshman Brandyn Bobo advanced to the finals of the 100-meter dash after posting a time of 11.09 seconds in the prelims. Teammates Joseph Vaughn (11.27) and Devon Bowe (11.45) also competed in the event.

Bobo returned later in the day to lead the Pomeroys in the 200-meter prelims with a time of 22.80 seconds, followed by Vaughn (23.08) and sophomore Quaion Russell (24.76).

In distance action, freshman Jayden Hickenbotham competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing in 10:53.57.

The Pomeroys also saw a solid effort from their 4x800-meter relay team, which placed fifth with a time of 8:26.67 to earn four points and post a mark among the NAIA's top times this season.

In the javelin throw, junior Eli Cox led SMWC with a 10th-place finish at 40.30 meters (132 feet, 2 inches), followed by Milner (33.34m) and senior Andrew Sedletzeck (28.96m).

After day one, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods sits fifth in the team standings with 18 points. Rio Grande (Ohio) leads the field with 90.5 points, followed by IU East (65), Shawnee State (50.5), and IU Kokomo (49). WVU Tech (14.5), Midway (12.5), and IU Columbus (10) round out the standings.

Competition at the River States Conference Championships continues Saturday, May 2, with events beginning at 11 a.m. (ET) in Rio Grande, Ohio.