FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota track and field returned to indoor competition in strong fashion by notching five individual event crowns and 12 top-three finishes in Saturday action at the Bison Team Cup hosted by North Dakota State.
 
The accolades started early as Carter Byron won the men's weight throw with his toss of 60-2 1/2 (18.35m) that marks a new personal best and places him No. 6 on the UND top-10 list.
 
North Dakota made it a clean sweep in the weight throw as Julia Matthews finished atop the women's leaderboard with her mark of 59-6 3/4 (18.15m).
 
It was another sweep for the Fighting Hawks over on the track for the 60-meter hurdles. Ryan Lange emerged victorious for the men with his clocking of 8.52 as Wyatt Genelin took third in 8.74. On the women's side of the event, Marta Marksa ran an 8.89 for her first-place finish. Marksa also placed in the top-three of the long jump with her leap of 18-6 1/2 (5.65m).
 
The final individual event title came from Kim Hitchen in the women's 400-meter dash. She ran away with the crown after crossing the finish line in 58.01.
 
Emma Briggs also logged a new UND top-10 entry, this time from the women's pole vault. She cleared a new personal best of 11-9 3/4 (3.60m) for a third-place finish in the event and the No. 8 spot in North Dakota history. In the same event, Emily Ash finished as runner-up with her mark of 11-9 3/4 (3.60m) as Jerzie Horner tied for fifth with 10-10 (3.30m).
 
Back on the track, Patricija Grosberga clocked a new personal best of 7.81, narrowly the UND top-10, to finish as runner-up in the 60-meter dash.
 
Two more runner-up finishes came from the women's 200-meter and men's 400-meter dash, respectively. Ava Phrakonkham ran a time of 25.77 for the second spot as Josh Neil clocked a 50.02 for a silver showing in their respective events.
 
As a team, the women finished second out of five competing teams with 47.25 points while the men finished third out of fourth teams with 31 points.
 
North Dakota will return to action on Saturday, January 24 in a return trip to Brookings, S.D., for the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational.
 
Post-Meet Notes

• North Dakota recorded two new entries to the UND top-10 lists
• Five Fighting Hawks earned event titles while 12 placed in the top three
• Carter Byron marked a second consecutive meet with an all-time performance, both coming in the weight throw

For more information on North Dakota track and field, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDtrackfieldXC.