LUBBOCK, Texas—Throughout the season, freshmen will be counted on to contribute if a team reaches the success it aspires to achieve.

The young athletes did just that for Northwestern State on the first day of the Corky Classic on the campus of Texas Tech on Friday.

Sanaria Butler, one of the freshmen, raced to the first No. 1 finish for NSU, winning the women's 400 Meter Dash B Section with a time of 56.85 in her first career collegiate race, narrowly defeating Midwestern State's Jaylen Hogue, who had a time of 57.13.

She defeated the third place finisher, Shackelia Green of Western Texas College, by nearly two seconds (58.59).

"We had a lot great performances today," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "A lot of these kids have never ran indoors let alone on a banked track, so I was really pleased. Some of these kids ran faster today than they have outdoors which is very impressive.

"A lot of the returners opened up today faster than they did last year, which hopefully they continue to improve like they did last year. Overall, I was very pleased with today and looking forward to tomorrow."

Maygan Shaw built off her conference freshman of the year honors last season with an impressive start to the indoor season. The sophomore finished fourth in the women's 200-meter dash B section with a time of 24.65.

Staying on the track, sophomore Dylan Swain narrowly missed a personal best, running a 21.60 in the 200 meters, placing eighth. Coming in just behind him was freshman Cyrus Jacobs, whose 21.81 time was 13^th in his first race as a collegiate.

While Swain nearly hit an indoor personal-best, in the field, Akira Phillip did just that. The senior posted a 43-11.25, placing 23^rd, in the weight throw.

Also in the weight throw, senior Deanmonique Granville posted a distance of 50-11, which was 14^th, while sophomore Bernesha Knowles finished 18^th with a distance of 47-7.25.

In the men's weight throw, Diamante Gumbs had another top 10 finish. The reigning first place finisher in the event in last year's Southland Conference Indoor Championships posted a 55-2.25, which earned him a spot to the final, in which he finished ninth. Three of the top finishers in the event came from the host school, Texas Tech, including first place. Jacob Mechler posted a distance of 66-6.5 to win the event.

Tarajh Hudson (49-0.75) placed 17^th in the weight throw and Justin Craft (46-8) finished 20^th.

Freshman Peyton Ware made her mark early in the pole vault. She finished tied for third at 11-1 in a field crowded with freshmen, as the top six finishers in the event were in their first year of college as well as seven of the top eight. The only athlete among the eight who is not a freshman was Angelo State's Coryn Peters, who is a sophomore.

In the high jump, fellow freshman Randy Kelly had an impressive debut. He finished second in the event at 6-9.5, only bested by an incredible performance from South Plains sophomore Kudakwashe Chadenga, who cleared the bar at 7-5.0.

Kelly tied for second with Wyatt Thiel of Oklahoma Christian. He was the only freshman in the top four.

In the long jump, another freshman, Adam Lindo, had an impressive showing in his first event in college, posting a 23-3.5, placing sixth in the event. West Texas A&M's Joseph Oreva won the long jump by nearly a foot over New Mexico Junior College's Khybah Dawson with a distance of 24-5.75.

The Demons and Lady Demons are back in action for the second and final day of the Corky Classic on Saturday at 11 a.m.