MITCHELL, S.D. – College of Saint Mary's track and field program made another dramatic ascension on Saturday.

Led by a winning effort in the 4x800 relay and some eye-popping results in the long jump, the Flames turned in the best performance in program history, a fifth-place team finish, at the GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at the DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Complex.

CSM placed fifth with 60 points, just two points behind fourth-place Mount Marty University. Doane University won the team title with 163.

For perspective, CSM finished 10^th in the 12-team field last year, with just 13 points.

"They know we are for real now,'' CSM Coach Steve Gordon Jr. said. "Our talent was on display, but our culture was at the core of the successful weekend. There was no pump-up speech or anything of the sort. The coaching staff very simply conveyed messages of confidence and strength in each moment directly to the athlete as they stepped up for their turn.''

That confidence was on full display in the 4x800, where Carly Henderson, Mira Fosmer, Kara Muller and Olivia Elbert won by nearly 15 seconds in 9:31.71, which meets the national A-standard and was less than two seconds off the meet record. Their splits were: Henderson (2:21.72), Fosmer (2:24.19), Muller (2:23.15) and Elbert (2:22.63).

In the long jump, Kellesse Heard of CSM matched Ayda Den Herder of Dordt with the day's best jumps of 5.65 meters (18 feet, 6½ inches). However, Den Herder claimed the GPAC title on the tiebreaker with a better second-best jump of 18-4¼ to Heard's 18-1½. Nonetheless, it was a personal-best jump for Heard, a B-standard mark and currently ranks 16^th in the nation.

Teammate Mikaiya Rodgers placed third in the long jump, just behind at 5.61 (18-5).

CSM picked up three more thirds. Mira Fosmer placed third in the 800 with a time of 2:22.04, even though she didn't run in the fastest of the three heats. Her time ranks 81^st nationally. Claire Caspersen took third in a loaded field in the shot put at 14.23 (46-8¼). And Kara Muller placed third in the mile in 5:19.86.

Carly Henderson placed fourth in the 1,000 (3:06.66), a personal-best time that ranks 69^th nationally.

CSM athlete added three more sixths: Elbert in the 800 (2:22.88), Becka Karnik in the mile (5:31.53) and Muller in the 3,000 (10:53.48), giving her a three-medal day.

The Flames notched two sevenths: Josie Karnik in the mile (5:35.06) and Savannah Horne in the 60 (7.87). It was a banner day for Horne, who set two program records, taking .10 off the 60 record and a sub-26 conversion with her ninth place in the 200 (26.25).

"We saw incredible performances, personal bests and program records, all leading to our best-ever finish,'' Gordon said.

Here are all of Saturday's CSM results:

60 prelims: q7, Savannah Horne 7.86; 12, Kellesse Heard 8.02

60 final: 7, Savannah Horne 7.87

200: 9, Savannah Horne 26.25

400: 13, Ava Hilger 1:02.93; 14, Mackenzie Stanley 1:03.00; DNS—Ciara Williams

600: 15, Natalie Briggs 1:48.97

800: 3, Mira Fosmer 2:22.04; 6, Olivia Elbert 2:22.88; 12, Josie Karnik 2:29.99

1,000: 4, Carly Henderson 3:06.66

Mile: 3, Kara Muller 5:19.86; 6, Becka Karnik 5:31.53; 7, Josie Karnik 5:35.06; 10, Corinne Mead 5:41.21; 11, Kiley Craft 5:48.26; 14, Yenifer Juan Jesus 6:04.51; SCR—Kaitlyn Thalman

3,000: 6, Kara Muller 10:53.48; 10, Becka Karnik 11:11.97

4x400 relay: 10, CSM (Mackenzie Stanley, Ava Hilger, Taylor Hrabik, Natalie Briggs) 4:21.28

4x800 relay: 1, CSM (Carly Henderson, Mira Fosmer, Kara Muller, Olivia Elbert) 9:31.71

Long jump: 2, Kellesse Heard 5.65 meters (18 feet, 6½ inches); 3, Mikaiya Rodgers 5.61 (18-5)

Pole vault: NH—Phoenix Jensen; NH—Allison Isaacson

Shot put: 3, Claire Caspersen 14.23 (46-8¼)

Triple jump: 10, Allison Isaacson 10.68 (35- ½)

Weight throw: 9, Claire Caspersen 15.35 (50-4½)