SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Summit League released the Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday, with both North Dakota track and field teams selected fourth.
The Fighting Hawk women placed fourth at the 2023 Summit League Indoor Championships, while the UND men took sixth.
Luke Labatte,
Elise Ulseth, Yonca Kutluk and
Maguire Petersen were also named Athletes to Watch in the Summit League this season.
Labatte was the runner-up in the 3,000 meters at last season's indoor conference meet with a time of 8:12.47 to garner All-Summit League status. He was also seventh in the mile at the Summit League Championships with a time of 4:13.56. During the 2023 regular season, Labatte broke the school records in the mile (4:06.11), 3,000 meters (8:08.54) and 5,000 meters (14:25.12). This cross country season, Labatte was one spot shy of USTFCCCA All-Region accolades at the NCAA Midwest Regional, taking 26th with a 10K time of 31:21.6, giving him the best individual finish on the men's side at the meet in school history. He not only paced the UND men in every meet during the cross country season, but also gained first team All-Summit League honors with a runner-up finish at the Summit League Championships with an 8K time of 24:40.07. With the finish, he recorded the second-best individual finish on the men's side in program history.
Ulseth redshirted last indoor season but shattered two school records during the 2022 indoor season. During her first year as a Fighting Hawk, Ulseth set school records in the high jump (5-9 1/4, 1.76m) and pentathlon (4,080 points). She also sits No. 2 in UND history in the 60-meter hurdles (8.64) and long jump (19-3 1/4, 5.87m). At the 2022 Summit League Indoor Championships, Ulseth won the pentathlon title (4,080 points), was sixth in the long jump (18-5 3/4, 5.63m) and took 13th in the 60-meter hurdles (9.00).
Kutluk, the 2023 Summit League Cross Country Athlete of the Year, will be entering her first indoor season at UND. This cross country season, Kutluk finished 88th at the NCAA Championships with a 6K time of 20:35.5, giving her the sixth-best finish at the meet in conference history. She also became the first UND runner on the women's side to compete at a national championship in UND's Division I era. She punched her ticket to the national championship with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional, running a 6K time of 20:36.4. With her finish at the regional, she became the first member of the women's team to earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors since 2013. Prior to the NCAA Regional, Kutluk only ran in two meets as a Fighting Hawk and made headlines in the 6K at the Summit League Championships, winning the individual title with a time of 20:56.01. With the win, she not only earned first team All-Summit League status, but also became the first cross country Summit League champion in school history on the women's side and beat the rest of the field by over 10 seconds at the conference meet, later being named the Summit League Championships MVP.
Petersen is in his second indoor season with NoDak after transferring from St. John's in Minnesota. Last season, he placed fifth in the heptathlon with 5,033 points at the Summit League Championships, which was good for the No. 2 point total in the heptathlon in school history. While competing in the heptathlon at the conference meet, he also recorded the No. 6 high jump clearance in program history with a leap of 6-7 3/4 (2.03m). Prior to joining the Fighting Hawks, he was sixth at the 2022 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships in the heptathlon with 4,964 points and was the MIAC Indoor Champion in the heptathlon in 2022.
North Dakota will open its season this weekend, competing at the SDSU Holiday Invitational on Friday and Saturday and also taking part in the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener on Saturday.
2024 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
|
Team |
Score (1st place votes) |
| T1. |
North Dakota State |
31 (3) |
| T1. |
South Dakota |
31 (2) |
| 3. |
South Dakota State |
30 (2) |
| 4. |
North Dakota |
22 |
| 5. |
St. Thomas |
13 |
| 6. |
Kansas City |
11 |
| 7. |
Oral Roberts |
9 |
2024 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
|
Team |
Score (1st place votes) |
| 1. |
South Dakota |
47 (5) |
| 2. |
North Dakota State |
45 (3) |
| 3. |
South Dakota State |
37 |
| 4. |
North Dakota |
31 |
| 5. |
St. Thomas |
20 |
| 6. |
Kansas City |
19 |
| 7. |
Omaha |
14 |
| 8. |
Oral Roberts |
11 |
For more information on North Dakota track & field, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDtrackfieldXC.
