?(LEBANON, Ill., April 11)—The McKendree University men's track and field team returned to action Friday and Saturday at the Billiken Invitational hosted by Saint Louis University.
 
As a team, the Bearcats finished fifth in the final team standings with 70 points. A total of eight McKendree athletes scored points at the meet, as well as a pair of relay squads.
 
McKendree was exceptionally strong in field events at the Billiken Invitational with two first-place finishes at the meet. Freshman Eric Imel (Chicago, IL/Schaumburg) took top honors in the long jump with a leap of 6.69 meters. Imel was also sixth in the high jump as he cleared a height of 1.88 meters. Freshman Alex McCrite (Tamms, IL/Egyptian) turned in the other first-place performance at the meet by winning the high jump at 2.03 meters.
 
Sophomore Kyle Kleeman (Carlinville, IL/Carlinville) threw for a distance of 46.46 meters to grab fourth place in the javelin. Sophomore Deonte Andresen scored points in the long jump with his seventh-place effort at 6.23 meters. Andresen also notched third place in the 100-meter dash with a final time of 11 seconds flat.
 
The Bearcats had two scoring efforts in the 400-meter dash. Sophomore Duane Cargill (Nassau, Bahamas/Liberty Christian Academy) nabbed fourth place in the event at 49.76 seconds, while freshman Alexis Palmer (Parkland, FL/Nova) was right behind in fifth place at 49.77 seconds. Freshman Christopher Jackson (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) placed third in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:57.06, and sophomore Dominick Pickens (Springfield, IL/Lanphier) finished seventh in the 200-meter dash at 22.30 seconds.
 
There were two top-three efforts turned in by McKendree in the relays. The Bearcats' 4 x 100-meter squad finished second with a final time of 42.10 seconds. Andresen, Pickens and Palmer were joined by freshman Kevin Witcik (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) in the race. Palmer, Cargill and Jackson teamed with junior Moses Randich (Eldoret, Kenya/Chebiemit School) to collect third place in the 4 x 400-meter race in a time of 3:18.57.
 
McKendree will compete next at the Dewey Allgood Invitational next Saturday (April 18) at Missouri S & T in Rolla, Mo.