CHICAGO – The UIC track and field team opened the outdoor season on a high note this weekend as the Flames split up squads to compete at the Raleigh Relays and Billiken Invite.
 
Carlos Cabrera kicked off the weekend of competition in record-setting fashion as he broke the school record in the men's outdoor 5k with a time of 14:28.83 at the prestigious Raleigh Relays, breaking the previous record by seven seconds.
 
Also competing in Raleigh, Bailey Moran finished the women's 400m in a time of 58.53 while Teresa Mejia posted a time of 17:47.67 in the women's 5k.
 
Down in Saint Louis, a total of nine personal bests were set as the team competed at the Billiken Invite.
 
"This was a great start to our outdoor season with everyone contributing at a high level," said assistant coach Paul Zavala. "We are looking forward to breaking more personal records throughout the season.
 
Four of the nine PRs came in the men's and women's 100m events. Max Rivera (10.76), Sacrad Michelin (10.85) and Dalton Burk (10.86) finished in sixth, seventh and eighth place, respectively to all earn PR marks. In the women's event, Kaitlyn Rogers finished fifth in a time of 12.62 to set a new personal best in the event while Aiyanna Hilton finished in the top-10 with a ninth-place effort (12.71).
 
The Flames also dominated the 200m events, with four more PRs falling and a total of five top-10 finishes. Max Rivera claimed fourth in the men's 200m (22.53) and was joined in the top-10 by Jesse Casas (6^th, 22.64), Burk (7^th, 22.67) and Juan Maniog (9^th, 22.93). Casas and Maniog each set PRs with their performances.
 
The two women's runners in the 200m both set PRs as Rogers finished 6^th in a time of 26.65 while Haley Dahl crossed the line in 27.54 to also improve upon her personal best.
 
Nyarai Terry set a new PR in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 15.24 to finish fifth overall while Natalie Kowalczuk finished in 10^th place in the long jump with a top mark of 5.05m.
 
The Flames will be back in action next Saturday at the Redbird Invite, hosted by Illinois State