RALEIGH, N.C. – Luke Labatte was the lone member of the North Dakota track and field team to compete on Thursday, running in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Raleigh Relays. Labatte finished seventh in the event with a time of 8:44.46. That time was less than one second shy of breaking his own school record.

Coming into the season, Labatte was named an Athlete to Watch by the Summit League. Last season, he was the 2022 Summit League Outdoor Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Fighting Hawk on the men's side to earn that title. He qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Round in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished 15th at the meet with a PR time of 8:43.79, breaking his own school record and finishing three spots shy and less than four seconds short of qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. With his finish at the Regional, Labatte became the top finisher in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in UND's Division I history at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. He also earned a spot on the 2022 All-Summit League Team, winning the gold medal in the steeplechase at the outdoor conference championships.

Teammate Jerzie Finstad will be the lone Fighting Hawk to compete on Friday, running in the 400 meters at Florida State. Live results of that meet will be provided by PrimeTime Timing.