The Valparaiso men's track and field team kicked off its indoor season Saturday at the Earlybird Invitational, hosted by Illinois State.

Three Crusaders posted top-10 finishes Saturday, led by reigning Mid-Continent Conference outdoor Athlete of the Year Steve Bartholomew (Valparaiso, Ind./Morgan Township). Bartholomew registered a toss of 53'7" in the weight throw, good for a fourth-place finish. The toss matched his career-best effort in the event and is the third-best mark in Valpo history.

Fellow thrower Eric Smith (Portage, Ind./Portage) also tallied a top-10 finish for Valpo. Smith recorded a mark of 43'9" in the shot put, finishing in tenth place.

Tom Heun (Brecksville, Ohio/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) led the Crusader effort on the track Saturday. Heun covered the 200m dash in 23.67 seconds, good for tenth place.

Valparaiso returns to the track on Saturday, January 20 as the Crusaders take part in the Chicagoland Invitational. The first event is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m.