MARIETTA, Ohio - Sophomores Johnnie Nabors and Andre Thornton each recorded first-place finishes at the Marietta (Ohio) Invitational on Saturday as Union College posted a sixth-place finish.

"We had a nice meet today," said Union coach Jamie Jimison. "We were able to finish pretty well in several events and run some quality times."

The Bulldogs collected 61 total points to net a sixth-place finish. Wheeling Jesuit won the event with 150 points, while West Virginia Wesleyan (126) was second and Muskingum (119), Concord (111) and Marietta (86) rounded out the Top Five. Twelve schools participated.

Nabors (Lawrenceville, Ga.) won the 55 meter dash with a time of 6.40 seconds, hitting the national "A' standard qualifying mark. Meanwhile, Marekus Smith (Lithonia, Ga.) hit the national "B" standard qualifying mark as he placed sixth with a time of 6.59 seconds.

In the 200, Thornton (Loganville, Ga.) won a tightly-contested race with a time of 22.69, while Johnny Barnes (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Nabors crossed the line in fourth and fifth, respectively. Thornton and Barnes also took second and third, respectively, in the 400. Thornton completed the lap in 51.08 seconds with Barnes following at 52.27 seconds.

Dustin Wattenberger (Baxter, Ky.) was eighth in the 500 with a time of 1 minute and 19.34 seconds. Daniel Kual (Stone Mountain, Ga.) ran the 800 in 2:08.91 to place 11th, while Brandon Kibert (Tazewell, Tenn.) was eighth in the mile run with Kual and Brennan O'Quinn (Meadowview, Va.) placing 12th and 18th, respectively.

Kibert, then, turned in a second-place finish in the 3000 meter run, completing the race in 9:18.54. The 4x400 relay team posted a seventh-place finish, while Nabors ended up sixth in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 2 inches.

For most of the team, this was the final indoor meet of the year. However, for Thornton and Nabors, up next is the NAIA National Championship Meet at Johnson City, Tenn., on March 8-10.