Raleigh, N.C. – All three runners that the Saint Xavier University women's track & field time sent to compete in the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State University at the Paul Derr Track & Field Facility in Raleigh, N.C. hit the NAIA 'A' Standard in their respective discipline. Both fifth-year senior Lexi Clarke (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet JC/Plainfield South) and fifth-year senior Olivia Mathis (Akron, Ohio/Lourdes/St. Vincent-St. Mary) topped the mark while racing in the 800m. Senior Yanira Deana Paninka (Canary Island, Spain/Central Methodist/IES Jandia) broke her own school record while competing in the 400m Hurdles. No team scores were recorded.

• Mathis ran her second-best career time, and the second-best in team history, in her season opening race with a time of 2:10.43. She was 43^rd overall.
• Clarke took over two seconds off of her previous best, setting a new personal record (PR) with a time of 2:11.02 to place 59^th out of 178 runners.
• Mathis logged the second-fastest time in the NAIA so far this season, while Clarke posted the fourth-quickest mark.
• Deana Paninka bested her previous school record, set last season at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, by over two seconds as she clocked in at 1:01.37. She finished 21^st out of a field of 62 competitors. Her time is the third-fastest in the NAIA so for in 2026.

Saint Xavier makes the trip to Bourbonnais, Ill. to take part in the Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) Tiger Open on Thursday, April 2.