WAVERLY, Iowa – In a year without an NCAA-sanctioned Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, University of Minnesota Morris senior Jessica Bliese took part in the next best thing, traveling to Wartburg College and competing in the Division III Elite Indoor Track & Field Championships on Friday and Saturday.

Bliese qualified in both the weight throw and shot put. On Friday, her first throw in the weight lifted her to a sixth-place finish as it traveled a distance of 51-9 (15.77 meters). That represented a PR for the Osakis, Minn. native and was the second-best throw in program history.

On Saturday in the shot put, Bliese failed to record a mark as all three of her throws resulted in fouls.

The Cougar track & field teams will resume their seasons beginning with outdoor competition starting in April. Minnesota Morris will host the first Cougar Classic on April 3 as the first of three home events during the year, the last of which is the UMAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 7-8.