LOS ANGELES – North Dakota's three-day trip to California got off to a sunny start Thursday night as senior Jakob Bissell destroyed his own school record in the hammer throw.
Competing at the Cal State L.A. Twilight Open, Bissell hit a mark of 190 feet, 8 inches (58.11) to eclipse his own previous record of 180-02 he had set at the 2012 Great West Conference Outdoor Championship.
Teammate Roman Waldera was right behind Bissell, hitting a personal-record throw of 179-01 (54.59). Bissell and Waldera now ranked 5-6 in the Big Sky Conference hammer throw rankings.
The men's discus throw also featured a pair of notable performances for North Dakota.
Senior Shawn Johnson placed third with a throw of 174-07 (53.21), which is the second-best mark in the Big Sky this season. Not to be outdone, Waldera logged the conference's third-best mark at 167-06 (51.05) and placed fifth in the event.
Thursday's action was one of four meets in California this weekend for UND, which will also compete in the Long Beach Invitational, Mt. SAC Relays and Bryan Clay Invitational before returning home Sunday.
