WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships are right around the corner, and Saint Mary's University track and field coach Paul Thornton has his teams right where he wants them.

"We're beginning to peak at just the right time of year," said Thornton, after watching his teams shine at the SMU Invitational Saturday afternoon in the Gostomski Fieldhouse. "Everyone knows the MIAC Championships aren't that far away, and they are all beginning to zero in on making sure they are at their best for that meet."

The Cardinals were certainly at their best on Saturday, picking up five first-place finishes in the four-team meets.

Megan Mason (Rochester, Minn.), Jenny Folgers (McHenry, Ill.), Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) and Ellen Koranda (Blue Earth, Minn.) all posted first-place performances for the women, while Ryan Hover (St. Paul, Minn.) won the 55 hurdles (8.52) on the men's side.

"Our teams performed very well and they competed with a great deal of intensity," said Thornton. "Not only did we have five firsts, but we also had a number of people turn in personal-bests. It really shows that they are applying what they are learning in practice into the meet setting."

Mason won the pole vault, clearing the bar at 10-0, equalling her own school record in the process. Folgers chipped in a first-place effort in the 55 hurdles (8.99), while Dingels was first in the 400 (61.12) and Koranda broke the tape first in the 1000 (3:15.19).

But that was just the tip of the iceberg for the Cardinals.

Mason, Dingels, Folgers and Autumn Valk (Appleton, Wis.) turned in their fastest time of the year, and the second-fastest time in the MIAC with a third-place time of 4:15.79 in the 4 x 400 relay. Dwyne Smith (Burnsville, Minn.), B.J. Klenke (Jordan, Minn.), Shawn Stewart (McHenry, Ill.) and Jim Baertsch (Winona, Minn.) were equally as impressive on the men's side, clocking a season-best time of 3:22.52.

"It was a good day for everyone," said Thornton. "We keep gaining momentum with each meet we compete in — hopefully we can just keep that rolling."