After a strong showing at home Friday in the Mules Relays, UCM outdoor track and field is set to begin the final week of the regular season prior to the MIAA Championships.

Both the Mules and the Jennies won multiple events in their last home meet of the season. Heading into the final week, the Mules moved up one spot to ninth in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associations rankings. The Mules are the second highest MIAA team in the rankings behind sixth-ranked Lincoln.

Six Mules athletes rank in the top 10 nationally of their respective events. Nathan Liby is second in the hammer throw after launching a personal-best 222-9 at the Mules Relays. Jan Jansky ranks second in the pole vault with Vincent Hobbie close behind in sixth. Jesse Miller’s clearing of 6-11 in the high jump at the Mules Relays puts him in ninth. Dalton Lewallen sits at ninth in the shot-put and Nathan Cummings cracked the top 10 at 10th in the discus.

The Mules and Jennies teams will split for two events this week. UCM will send athletes to the 110th edition of the Drake Relays and the PSU Wendy’s Tune-Up. The Drake Relays is scheduled to run from Thursday to Saturday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. The Wendy’s Tune-Up is a one-day event scheduled for Friday at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, Kansas.