FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – For the second straight year, North Dakota senior thrower Katelyn Weber is the Big Sky Conference indoor shot put champion.
During a day in which North Dakota's best performances came in the field events, Weber's repeat title was the signature moment for the Fighting Hawks on day two of the conference championship and gave UND its first event title of the weekend at Northern Arizona's J. Lawrence Walkup Stadium.
Weber won the event with a top throw of 49 feet, 2.50 inches (15.00 meters), defeating runner-up of Jelaia Jones of Sacramento State. Weber's teammate, Molli Detloff, was fourth in the event at 13.95 meters.
“Katelyn was just short of her school record (50-2.75) and she wanted more, obviously, but she still just bounded by everyone by two or three feet,” said UND head coach Kevin Galbraith.
In the men's weight throw, junior Tyler Kolander earned the first all-conference honor of his career with a third-place finish.
Kolander hit a personal-best mark of 60-11.50 (18.58) meters for UND's best showing of the day on the men's side.
“That was a nice surprise from Tyler,” said Galbraith. “He stepped up and took it. He's been working hard and he's had the talent, he just hadn't -- until now -- put together that big throw. So that was nice to see.”
With UND struggling to find consistency on the track on Friday, it was the likes Weber, Kolander and their fellow throwers shouldering the load, with plenty of help from their teammates in the jumps.
Junior Isabel Waite landed a fourth-place showing in the women's high jump for the Fighting Hawks, matching her PR of 5-06.50 (1.69) to contribute to UND's scoring effort.
Sophomore Alex Torp finished fifth in the pole vault after clearing 15-4.50 (4.69), just missing his PR.
“Izzy jumped really well,” said Galbraith, “and Alex, for his first time at conference, also performed very well.”
UND also received points from the women's distance medley relay team of Ellyssa Peterson, Heather Harrower, Meghan Janssen and Hannah Oscarson. That quartet placed seventh with a time of 12 minutes, 37.89 seconds.
The Fighting Hawks sit in fourth place on the women's side and in 10th on the men's side.
“We just couldn't get going on the track,” said Galbraith. “We had some good performances, we just need more of them. The field event people really did well. Those folks really got it done.”
The 2018 Big Sky Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship concludes on Saturday.
