ST. PETER, Minn. — Two weeks ago, at the Kansas Relays, Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) notched an NCAA Division III National Championships provisional-qualifying mark in the heptathlon.

Saturday afternoon, the Saint Mary's University sophomore didn't have the opportunity to compete in the pentathlon — since the Gustavus Invitational didn't field the event — but Dingels did get to compete in a number of heptathlon events.

And compete she did.

Dingels posted a pair of first-place finishes — including a school-record and NCAA provisional-qualifying leap of 5-4 in the high jump — to lead the way for the Cardinals at the event.

"Ashley had a great meet, as did a number of our other athletes," said SMU coach Paul Thornton. "We are beginning to peak at the right time, and with a couple of meets remaining before the conference championships, everything seems to be falling into place."

Along with her first-place effort in the high jump, Dingels also won the 400 (59.51), while placing second in the shot put (39-5 1/4), fifth in the 100 hurdles (16.30) and fifth in the javelin (106-4).

Megan Mason (Rochester, Minn.) chipped in a school-record effort in the pole vault, clearing 10-4 to place seventh, while Ashley Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) capped a busy day with seconds in the long jump (16-4 1/2) and Javelin (115-7), a third in the shot put (38-1), and a seventh in the discus (118-0). Jenny Folgers (McHenry, Ill.) was third in the 100 hurdles (15.43) and fifth in the 400 hurdles (69.26), with Autumn Valk (Appleton, Wis.) taking 4th in the 100 hurdles (16.27) and third in the 400 hurdles (67.64). Ellen Koranda (Blue Earth, Minn.) and Theresa Miller (New Berlin, Wis.) also had strong showings, as Koranda placed fourth in the 800 (2:24.90) and Miller was fifth in the 1,500 (5:12.45).

On the men's side, Todd Yankowski (Chicago, Ill.) was fourth in the javelin (154-9) and ninth in the long jump (19-8 1/4), while B.J. Klenke (Jordan, Minn.) was fifth in the 800 (2:01.52), Andy Boisjolie (Austin, Minn.) was eighth in the 1,500 (4:29.81) and Eric Habberstad (Blooming Prairie, Minn.) was 12th in the 100 hurdles (17.01).

"This meet and the (Macalester Invitational last Tuesday) were good meets for us," said Thornton. "And this week will be more of the same — with the MIAC Combined, along with the Tommie Twilight and the Meet of the Saints, we should continue to make improvements as we gear up for the MIAC Championships."