MARION, Ind. – The Grace College track and field team got the outdoor season off on the right foot at the IWU Polar Bear Invitational on Saturday.

Nine different marks for the Lancers met the NCCAA national standard on a chilly Saturday.

Sabrina Whitaker and Zach Speckman showcased their versatility by qualifying for NCCAA Nationals in two different events. Whitaker’s 5-foot-2 in the high jump finished third, and her time of 17.09 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles also met the NCCAA mark.

Speckman finished in 16.40 in the 110 hurdles and 57.91 in the 400 hurdles to highlight the men’s team.

“We had NCCAA qualifiers in nine events, so it was a decent start to the outdoor season,” said Grace head coach Jeff Raymond. “I think we learned, however, that we still have a long way to go to be prepared for the big meets at the end of the season. Fortunately we have several weeks to get to that point.”

For the women’s team, Heather House (100 hurdles), Kaitlyn Mikel (hammer throw) and Rebekah Younkin (hammer throw) each qualified for NCCAA Nationals with a strong performance.

On the men’s side, Lance Taylor reached the NCCAA mark with his second-place finish of 51.32 in the 400. Seth Booker was the final qualifier with his 58.13 in the 400 hurdles.

The men’s 4×400 relay team of Taylor, Booker, Speckman and Donovan Graham ended in second place at the meet with a time of 3:28.32.

The Lancers’ second outdoor meet is on Thursday at the Goshen Invitational.