FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota track and field program opened its 2022-23 campaign at the Dakota Alumni Classic on Friday. On the opening day of the season, the Fighting Hawks came away with three improvements to the UND top-10 lists and two individual event titles.

Eve Goldstein was the top performer for UND, winning the shot put title with a personal-best toss of 46-9 1/2 (14.26m), good for the No. 5 throw in school history. Goldstein also placed fourth in the weight throw with a mark of 53-4 1/2 (16.27m).

Zak King won the mile crown in a time of 4:33.06.

Austin Wolf improved his No. 4 mark on the UND top-10 list with a high jump clearance of 6-9 3/4 (2.08m). He finished as the runner-up in the jump-off. He also placed eighth in the long jump with a PR leap of 21-0 (6.40m).

Jerzie Finstad entered the UND all-time top-10 list at No. 10 in the 200 meters with a PR time of 25.65. That time was good for a fourth-place finish in the event. She also took fourth in the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 58.59, just 0.27 seconds shy of the a UND top-10 mark in that event.

In the infield, Ashley Conneran was the runner-up in the women's high jump with a height of 5-3 1/4 (1.61m).

Allison Lardy placed second in the weight throw with a toss of 58-5 1/4 (17.81m). Julia Matthews and Kaylynn Red Tomahawk, both competing unattached, also joined Lardy in the weight throw and finished seventh (49-3 3/4, 15.03m) and eighth (47-9 1/4, 14.56m), respectively.

Lardy also finished fourth in the shot put with a distance of 44-7 (13.59m). Mathews (unattached) took sixth with a throw of 42-3 1/4 (12.88m), followed by Ecuabeth Kivikangas in eighth with a toss of 41-0 1/2 (12.51m).

Harris Maclean finished in fifth place of the men's pole vault with a personal-best height of 14-9 (4.50m). Kajsa Thrawl was eighth in the women's pole vault with a clearance of 9-6 1/4 (2.90m).

Jennifer Parent, competing unattached, took third in the women's triple jump with a leap of 38-2 (11.63m). Claire Leach joined Parent in the triple jump and was sixth with a jump of 35-3 (10.74m).
Parent (unattached) also took fourth in the women's long jump with a mark of 18-9 1/4 (5.72m). Kivikangas and Leach were also in the long jump and finished in sixth (17-0 1/2, 5.19m) and seventh (17-0, 5.18m), respectively.

Maguire Petersen took seventh in both the men's long jump and in the shot put. In the long jump, Petersen led the way for the UND men with a leap of 21-0 1/2 (6.41m). In the shot put, Peterson placed seventh with a toss of 43-6 (13.27m).

On the track, Aleece Durbin had an outstanding performance, placing in three events. She was the runner-up in the 60 meters in a time of 7.96. Durbin also took fourth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.25) and fifth in the 200 meters (26.41).

Hinewai Knowles also placed in 60-meter hurdles, taking third in a time of 8.99. She was fourth in the 60 meters with a time of 8.10.

Carley Johnson had a third-place finish in the 60-meter final in 8.07. Johnson was also sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 26.69.

Mackenzie Severson placed fifth in the 60 meters (8.17) and sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.37).

Courtney Werner finished fifth in the women's 400 meters with a time of 59.92. She was trailed by Maggie Dervis, who finished sixth, in a PR time of 1:00.44. Dervis also placed seventh in the 200 meters with a time of 27.11.

In the men's 400 meters, Alex Kaffine led the way for North Dakota, taking sixth in 51.13. Max Baker was next for UND, taking seventh with a time of 52.24.

Combined events kicked off the meet on Friday morning. Malene Kollberg, competing unattached, claimed the pentathlon crown with 3,669 points. That point total would have been No. 3 on the UND top-10 list in the event. Kollberg also would have had the No. 5 mark on the UND top-10 list in the long jump with a leap of 18-6 (5.64m).

Elle Thorson was fourth in the pentathlon with 3,256 points, finishing just 37 points shy of a PR. Thorson clocked a personal-best time of 2:40.46 in the 800 meters.

Elise Ulseth, competing unattached, was seventh in the pentathlon with 3,130 points. She only competed in the first four events and had the top marks in the pentathlon high jump (5-7, 1.70m) and shot put (37-7 3/4, 11.47m). Her throw in the shot put was a new personal-best.

Through four heptathlon events, Cruz Megazzini is the top Hawk and is sitting third with 2,686 points. He had the No. 2 heptathlon mark of the day in every event.

Ben Hidani is right behind Megazzini and is fourth in the heptathlon going into Saturday with 2,507 points. Hidani had the No. 4 heptathlon mark of the day in every event, highlighted by a personal-best shot put throw of 34-11 (10.64m).

North Dakota heptathletes will return to Fargo on Saturday for the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters. A select number of Fighting Hawks will begin the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston on Saturday. Live results of the Dakota Alumni Classic will continue to be available at Live.HerosTiming.com. Results of the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener will be provided at LancerTiming.com.