MONMOUTH, Ill. — The Knox College men's track and field team more than doubled its point total from the first day of the Midwest Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, while the women got on the board as well. The Prairie Fire finished eighth overall on the men's side with 40 points while the women placed ninth with eight points.

The day began with field events, which included Knox's best showing of the day in the men's triple jump as senior A.J. Vazquez not only set a personal record with his leap of 13.60 meters (44 feet 7.5 inches), but also staked his claim on the podium by finishing second. His effort earned the Prairie Fire eight points and bumped him up into third on Knox's performer list.

The other field performer to score for the Prairie Fire cause was sophomore Stephanie Nelson in the women's weight throw. The daughter of Knox track and field head coach Mark Nelson flung the weight 14.74 meters, good for fourth place and five points for the women's team.

The men had a pair of fourth-place performances in the track events, first in the distance medley relay. First-years Misha Ratner and Chrisangle Djambazian, along with sophomore Max Lawrence and junior Lance Miller ran the race in 10:46.49, the third-fastest ever by a Prairie Fire quartet, earning five points. Little more than two hours later, Miller returned to the track to take fourth in the men's 3000 meters in 8:43.39.

The women's distance medley relay team, consisting of sophomore Cecilia Goodin, first-year Zoe Thunhurst, junior Eileen Sheetz and senior Franny Hilliard, earned three points, placing sixth in 13:46.61, the fifth-best time in Knox history.

In the men's 60 meter hurdles, senior Jacob Anderson broke nine seconds for the first time, claiming sixth place in 8.97 seconds. He is now the sixth-fastest 60 meter hurdler at Knox ever, but the only one in the top 10 with an unadjusted time from 55 meters.

And in the final race of the championships, fifth-year Eusebio King-Mills, first-year Ryan Lautzenheiser, Vazquez and Djambazian combined to earn three points by finishing sixth in the men's 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:35.57.

Cornell College won the men's team title, edging out host Monmouth by a 120-115 margin. On the women's side, Illinois College also nipped the Fighting Scots by an ever smaller margin to win the crown, 137-135.5.

Up next for the track teams is the NCAA qualifying meet at Wartburg College on March 7-8.