CEDAR FALLS, Iowa ? The Bradley women's track & field team opened the 2008 indoor season Saturday, as the Braves competed in the Panther Open hosted by Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Junior Katie Nowak (Avon Lake, Ohio) turned in a third place finish in the 1,000 meter run to lead the Braves.

Nowak finished the race with a time of 3:03.38, just five seconds behind winner Jamie Hutchinson of UNI. Nowak was followed by teammate Leann Murphy (Rochester, Ill.) in seventh place with a time of 3:14.08. In other distance events, sophomore Rachel Brubaker (Davis, Ill./Durand H.S.) led the Braves with a sixth place finish in the mile run in a time of 5:28.17. Freshman Mary Goldkamp (Florissant, Mo./McCluer North H.S.) paced the Braves in the 3,000 meter run with an 8th place finish in 11:12.23.

In the shot put, senior Kim Martin (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.) notched a throw of 12.16 meters to finish in eighth place, followed by sophomore Anne Bucalo (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove H.S.) in 12th place with a throw of 11.23 meters.

Sophomore Erika Sepich (Canton, Ill.) led the Braves in a pair of sprint events, finishing the 60 meter dash preliminary in 14th place with a time of 8.33 seconds. Sepich ran the 200 meter dash preliminary in a time of 28.41 seconds for 18th place. Freshman Nadia LaBostrie (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood East) turned in an eighth place finish in the 600 meter run with a time of 1:49.39. Junior Amanda Harms (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South H.S.) was the only Brave to compete in the 60 meter hurdles preliminary, finishing in 14th place in a time of 10.9 seconds.

The Braves will compete next in the two-day Iowa State Meet starting Friday, Jan. 25 in Ames, Iowa.