The Olympics it’s wasn’t, but the men’s and women’s teams combined for 18 top-three finishes at the Blue Raider Invitational over the weekend.

Bowling Green senior Nicole Jaggers and Felicia Yearwood, a junior from Freeport, N.Y., put up the best performances in the Invitational.

Jaggers claimed victory in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:23.28. Yearwood placed first in the shot put with a throw of 45′1″.

She also placed second in the weight throw with a toss of 49′7″, a personal best.

“Felicia’s a survivor,” said head coach Curtiss Long. “She has worked so hard to get to this level and the potential is there to do so much more.”

Several men placed second in their events, including Bowling Green sophomore Matt Taitt in the shot put, Indianapolis senior Dennis Mitchell in the 55-meter dash, and Somerset freshman Patrick Jenkins in the 3,000 meter run.

The women had their own share of runner-ups in their division. Carita Cole, a senior from Jackson, Tenn., placed second in the 55-meter dash.

Paducah senior Temi Akojie placed second in the 400-meters, as did Bowling Green junior Natalie Leeper in the 3,000 meters and Vallery Delaunay, a senior from Claremont, Calif., in the high jump.

Returning from a month-long holiday hiatus, both the men’s and women’s teams competed in the Kentucky Invitational on Jan. 12 and 13 in Lexington.

The women’s team broke two school records, while the men’s team broke one.

The first record to fall was in women’s shot put. Yearwood put in a throw of 47′10″, breaking her teammate Courtney Wood’s record by over two feet.

On her final toss, Yearwood broke her own record, recording a distance of 47′11.75″.

The most impressive performance of the meet was put on by the mens’ 4×400 meter relay team.

Maryland freshman Terrill McCombs, Toronto freshman Gavin Smellie, Georgia junior Jason Browhow, and junior Raymond Diogo from Uganda recorded a time of 3:12.95, improving the school standard by over four seconds.

Yearwood got fifth place in women’s shot put while Wood placed seventh.

At the final event of the meet, the women’s 4×400 meter relay, Akojie, Cole, Tallahassee freshman Kellie Morrison, and Ontario junior Alecia Brown beat the school record by over three-tenths of a second with a time of 3:50.79.

“The mens’ team is very young this season,” Long said. “But it’s very exciting to think about the potential that’s there.”

There was some uncertainty regarding the level competition for the first couple of meets.

“It’s very early in the season. You’re never really sure how everbody will perform after Christmas,” Long said.

The coaches are pleased with both teams’ performances, but know there is still work to be done.

“We got a young team with young athletes who could do very well in conference and on a national level,” Jenkins said.

Cole was named the Sun Belt Conference Track Performer of the Week last week for her performance in the Kentucky Invitational.

Both teams will compete in the Carle/Health Alliance Invitational in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday.

Reach Chris Acree at sports@wkuherald.com