DeKALB — The track and field team began the outdoor season with two automatic Mid-American Conference qualifying marks from its athletes. The team competed in the University of Central Florida’s Black and Gold Invitational Friday and Saturday along with 20 other teams.

Head Coach Connie Teaberry said the team overcame the weather-induced adversity it faced.

“Without the ability to practice outside, the team was at a slight disadvantage,” Teaberry said. “The athletes didn’t allow this [to stop them] from making significant strides in their transition from indoors to outdoors.“

First-year multi-event runner Taylor Ramsey placed seventh in the javelin. Ramsey posted a throw of 31.62 meters, just one foot shy of her personal record. Ramsey also took second in the high jump on Day Two, clearing 1.68 meters, just under her season-high of 1.69 meters.

Ramsey set personal records in the 100-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash with times of 14.88 and 27.07 seconds, respectively.

In the 2-kilometer steeple event, sophomore distance-runner Mackenzie Callahan placed second with a time of 7:10.17 minutes. This was Callahan’s first time competing in the event. Junior distance-runner Mercer Mack also competed in the event, placing fifth with a time of 7:29.96.

In the 3,000-meter run, the Huskies had three top-five finishers. Senior distance-runner Ericka Hibser took second with a time of 10:02.89 minutes; junior distance-runner Vivian Overbeck placed third with a time of 10:12.18 minutes and sophomore distance-runner Sara Atkins finished fifth with a time of 10:21.45 minutes.

Related: Whyte wins back-to-back MAC triple jump titles

The Huskies also had three top-10 finishers in the 400-meter dash. First-year sprinter Taylor Tilmon placed fourth with a time of 56.12 seconds, while sophomore sprinter Grace Harris placed seventh in 56.87 seconds. First-year sprinter Kaitlyn Lewis grabbed the 10th spot in 57.39 seconds.

In the 100-meter hurdles, junior multi-event runner Remy Amarteifio finished fifth with a time of 13.86 seconds, automatically qualifying for the outdoor MAC Championship. Amarteifio closed the indoor season finishing fourth at the indoor MAC Championships in the 60-meter hurdles.

Senior jumper Jehvania Whyte also reached a MAC-qualifying time in the triple jump, finishing fourth with a mark of 12.22 meters. Whyte is coming off a successful indoor season, winning the indoor-MAC triple jump title.

“We walk away [from the meet] with two automatic MAC qualifying times and marks from Amarteifio and Whyte in the 100 [meter] hurdles and triple jump,” Teaberry said.

First-year sprinter Diamond Riley and Whyte were in the top-10 in the long jump, along with sophomore multi event runner Kenyae Majors. Whyte was fifth with a mark of 5.65 meters, Majors was sixth with a jump of 5.63 meters and Riley was seventh with a score of 5.54 meters.

Teaberry said she is hopeful and positive as the outdoor season continues.

“The youth we have is raw and such an awesome thing to see blossom,” Teaberry said. “Our time will come and these athletes are tough.”

The Huskies will compete again from March 28-30 in the three-day Texas relays in Austin, Texas.