FORT WAYNE, Ind. & NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Oakland University track and field teams embarked on an ambitious weekend, splitting their squad between the Vanderbilt Invitational and the Mastodon Invitational, as it saw eight first-place finishes.

For the athletes competing in the Vanderbilt Invitational, the stakes were high. Among some of the best collegiate programs in the country, Oakland runners made their presence known.

On the men's side, Tyler Donovan set the tone in the 800 meters, using a powerful finishing kick to claim 10th place in 1:52.14. Not far behind, Michael Hancock and Yami Albrecht delivered back-to-back strong runs, finishing 10th and 11th, respectively, with times of 4:06.63 and 4:07.50. In the 3000 meters, Wesley Hollowell and Carter McCalister ran shoulder-to-shoulder to earn 18th and 19th place with times separated by less than a second.

The women's team brought their own fire to the Vanderbilt track. Abby Jackson and Karenna Duffey stepped into the spotlight in the 800 meters, with Jackson's 14th-place finish (2:13.03) leading the charge. Meanwhile, Hannah Fisher dazzled in the mile, crossing the line in 20th place with a time of 4:56.46. Capping off the event, Erin Hegarty put on a gutsy performance in the 3000 meters, clinching a top-10 finish in 9:37.15.

Inside Purdue Fort Wayne's Hilliard Gates Center, the Golden Grizzlies dominated across the board.

The men's sprinters came out flying, led by Julian Bailey, who sprinted his way to 3rd in the 60 meters (6.97) and then roared back to win the 400 meters with a blistering 50.31. Logan Detweiler turned in one of the performances of the meet, running a tactical race to win the mile in 4:15.43. In the longer distances, Oakland's depth shone, with Josiah Magley and Collin Farmer finishing 3rd and 4th in the 3000 meters, separated by just 0.08 seconds.

The women's team matched the men's energy, with Ke'Vina Finch blazing to victory in the 60 meters in 7.62 seconds and Lauren Goodman snagging 2nd place in the 200 meters (25.46). In the mile, it was Sarah-Rose Sullivan who stole the show, crossing the line first in 5:06.90. Oakland's distance crew continued to impress in the 3000 meters, where Makenna Scott claimed 3rd in a tightly contested race with a time of 10:17.44.

On the field, Alex Mansfield showed out as he placed first in both shot put and weight throw, with marks of 16.79m and 16.85m, respectively. On the women's side, Alexa Messina and Jamie Giese placed third in their respective events, while Elizabeth Rice placed second in weight throw.

The team will look to build off its momentum next week at the Notre Dame International in South Bend, Ind.