ST. LOUIS, Mo. --- Mara Bruno had a big day at the Washington University (Mo.) Invite to open University of St. Francis' women's outdoor track & field season on Saturday, while Katherine Bakken and Bailey Wilk both punched their tickets to the NAIA National Championships with their "A" standard performances Saturday night in the Distance Carnival portion of the meet.

Bruno totaled 18 of USF's 30 points on the day to lead the Fighting Saints to a seventh-place finish among nine schools at the Invite.  She won the long jump event (17 feet, 9 inches) among 17 competitors, while placing fourth in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes with respective times of 12.3 and 25.48 seconds.

Bakken and Wilk hit the "A" mark in the 10,000-meter race Saturday night.  Bakken placed seventh overall by finishing in 36:02.42, while Bakken was ninth (36:17.76).

Also at the Carnival, Ana Mendoza Pineda hit the "B" standard in the 1,500-meter event with her time of 4:37.09 to place eighth.

Earlier in the day at the Invite, Emerson Colins scored in two separate events.  She was sixth in both the 100-meter hurdles (16.23 seconds) and dash (12.57).

After Bruno, Alexia Bibakis authored USF's best finish on the day with her runner-up placement in the 1,500-meter race (5:00.43).   

St. Francis competes in the Indiana Tech Warrior Open on Friday and Saturday.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on Twitter @USFSaints.