FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota track and field team closed out 2023 by winning four individual titles at the Dakota Alumni Classic on Friday. In addition to the four titles, the Fighting Hawks also recorded six improvements on the UND top-10 lists at the meet.

Jerzie Finstad was the highlight for UND on the track, picking up an event win and posting two improvements to the UND top-10 list. She claimed the 400 meter crown with a PR time of 56.00, which improved her No. 5 time in school history. Less than an hour later, Finstad returned to the track for the 200 meters and placed fifth with a personal-best time of 25.14, moving her up to No. 7 in program history.

Brooklyn Brouse claimed the women's 800 meter title with a time of 2:22.20. Maggie Dervis was the runner-up with a time of 2:24.62, followed by Abby McNeil in fourth (2:41.96) and Ella Hedman in fifth (2:54.44). Hedman was also eighth in the 400 meters less than a half hour earlier with a time of 1:03.41.

Braxton Middaugh won the men's 800 meters in his collegiate debut with a time of 1:59.89. Tanner Schiller was also in the race and finished fourth in 2:03.15.

Hinewai Knowles took fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.00.

Kimberly Hitchen, competing in her first meet as a Fighting Hawk, placed fourth in the women's 400 meters with a time of 59.95.

In the men's 400 meters, UND placed three times. Jory Vasek paced the NoDak runners with a time of 50.80 to take fourth, while P.K. Moore was sixth (51.69) and Henry Nelson finished eighth (52.56).

Kenna Curry led all UND field athletes and won the weight throw title with a personal-best toss of 65-1 1/4 (19.84m), which moved her up to No. 3 in UND history in the event. Julia Matthews was also in the weight throw and took fifth (51-2 1/4, 15.60m), trailed by Kaylynn Red Tomahawk getting seventh (50-5 1/2, 15.38m).

Curry was also the runner-up in the shot put with a mark of 46-10 1/4 (14.28m). Matthews placed third with a throw of 42-1 1/4 (12.83m), while Haidyn Skeen took seventh in 39-11 1/2 (12.18m). Katelyn Rath, competing unattached, was eighth in the shot put with a distance of 39-11 1/4 (12.17m).

Harris Maclean took third in the men's pole vault with a height of 14-5 1/4 (4.40m).

In the women's pole vault, Emily Ash placed fourth and entered the UND top-10 list with the No. 9 clearance in school history with a height of 11-7 3/4 (3.55m). McKenna Myron and Jerzie Horner were fifth (11-1 3/4, 3.40m) and sixth (10-2, 3.10m), respectively.

In the men's triple jump, Carson Kunz led UND and was fourth with a leap of 43-3 3/4 (13.20m). James Weninger was seventh with a jump of 41-1 3/4 (12.54m). Earlier in the meet, Kunz was also seventh in the high jump with a clearance of 5-11 1/4 (1.81m).

Three Fighting Hawks placed in the long jump. Trenton Hanseder led the way and was fourth with a leap of 22-2 1/4 (6.76m), while Gavin Hockstedler placed sixth with a jump of 21-9 (6.63m) and Maxwell Roller finished eighth with a distance of 21-1 1/2 (6.44m).

Claire Leach was the final Fighting Hawk field athlete to place and took seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 36-2 3/4 (11.04m).

Combined events kicked off the meet Friday morning with 10 North Dakota student-athletes competing in the pentathlon. Half of those Fighting Hawks placed in the event.

Malene Kollberg was the runner-up in the pentathlon with 3,635 points. Kollberg's top finish came in the 60-meter hurdles, where she was second with a time of 8.89. She also set a personal-best in the shot put with a toss of 34-10 1/2 (10.63m), beating her previous best of 33-11 1/4 (10.34m).

Tiffanie Magnusson finished fourth in the pentathlon with 3,528 points. Her best finish came in the long jump, where she was second with a mark of 18-9 3/4 (5.73m). She set the long jump school record last season with a jump of 19-7 1/2 (5.87m) at the Summit League Indoor Championships.

Eucabeth Kivikangas was fifth in the pentathlon with 3,523 points. She won the shot put in the pentathlon with a throw of 44-0 (13.41m). Kivikangas recorded PR's in both the high jump (4-11 1/2, 1.50m) and 800 meters (2:33.82).

Justina Esangbedo, competing in her first collegiate pentathlon, placed seventh with 3,281 points. Her point total ranks No. 9 in the pentathlon in UND history. Esangbedo's best finish came in the shot put, where she was second with a toss of 41-7 1/4 (12.68m).

Elise Ulseth placed eighth with 3,274 points. She only competed in the first four events of the pentathlon and had the top marks in the high jump (5-6 1/2, 1.69m) and long jump (19-4 3/4, 5.91m). Ulseth's long jump mark improved her No. 2 jump on the UND top-10 list. She also had a personal-best throw of 41-1 (12.52m) in the shot put, beating her previous best of 37-2 1/2 (11.34m).

North Dakota will resume its indoor track and field slate after the Holiday break. UND will return to NDSU on Jan. 13 for the Bison Team Cup.

POST-MEET NOTES
* North Dakota won four event titles at the Dakota Alumni Classic, winning three individual crowns on the track and one in field events.
* Jerzie Finstad (400 meters), Brooklyn Brouse (800 meters), Braxton Middaugh (800 meters) and Kenna Curry (weight throw) were the Fighting Hawks that won event titles.
* Six improvements were posted to the UND top-10 lists on Friday.
* Ten Fighting Hawks competed in the pentathlon at NDSU. For Justina Esangbedo (seventh), Alina Vollert (ninth), Jenna Koppelsloen (13th), Finley Davignon (18th) and Elyse Gulsvig (21st), it was their first time competing for UND.
* North Dakota will return to Fargo for its fourth meet of the season on Jan. 13.