GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota track and field squads return to the comfort of its own home turf for one last regular season meet before the conference championship as the Fighting Hawks host the UND Tune-Up on Friday, February 20.
 
Competition will kick off at noon inside the Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center with the field events as action on the track will follow at 2 p.m. Live results will be provided by Hero's Timing.
 
Last Time Out
Another school record fell for North Dakota track and field on Saturday as multiple Fighting Hawks climbed the all-time list and 19 earned new personal bests across two different meets in Massachusetts and South Dakota.
 
The biggest headline of the day came from Boston at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational when Jadyn Keeler made history. She smashed her own previous school record by over 27 seconds to become the first North Dakota collegian in the state's history to break sub-9 in the invitational 3000-meter run. Her time of 8:50.45 led to a seventh-place finish in the event, which tops the Summit League and is currently in the top 20 of the NCAA.
 
In the 3000-meter runs, four Fighting Hawks also ran new personal bests as three marked all-time performances. Olivia Correale clocked a 9:31.04 for third in UND history as Frida Giersdorff followed close behind with a 9:31.51 for fifth all-time. Katie Rogers now sits seventh in UND history with her time of 9:39.28 and Elle Sondag improved her personal best to a clocking 9:54.82.
 
The plethora of new best times of UND in the women's 3000-meter run has put four Fighting Hawks in the top five of the Summit League so far this season.
 
Gabriella Ruggeri clocked a 2:12.80 for 49^th out of more than 200 entries in the women's 800-meter run while in the final race out east for UND, Shewaye Johnson ran away with a new 5000-meter run personal-best time of 16:22.10, which now sits third on the UND all-time list. UND now has three of the top four event times in the league.
 
Down in Brookings, Ava Phrakonkham and Gretchen Raney each clocked season bests with times of 7.71 and 7.68, respectively, in the women's 60-meter dash. Phrakonkham also ran a season best of 25.08 for seventh overall in the 200-meter dash.
 
In the women's 400-meter dash, Kim Hitchen finished seventh overall om the invitational part of the event with her time of 56.94. Josh Neil claimed runner-up in the men's races in 48.49 seconds for a new PR and then fourth-fastest time in school history.
 
Conference Contenders
The Fighting Hawks currently hold 23 entries that sit in top five of their respective events with one week to go before the conference championship meet:
- Ethan Adams – 3000-meter run (8:08.78, third), 3000-meter run (9:31.04)
- Carter Byron – weight throw (60-2 1/2, 18.35m, fourth)
- Kajsa Cabanas Andersson – shot put (45-9, 13.94m, fifth)
- Olivia Correale – mile run (4:49.61, fourth)
- Louis-Lys Fanucchi – mile run (3:57.90, first), 3000-meter run (7:58.50, first), 5000-meter run (13:58.81, third)
- Frida Giersdorff – 3000-meter run (9:31.51, fourth), 5000-meter run (16:53.30, fourth)
- Matej Hrebacka – 5000-meter run (14:00.86, fourth)
- Shewaye Johnson – 5000-meter run (16:22.10, third)
- Jadyn Keeler – mile run (4:39.06, first), 3000-meter run (8:50.45, first), 5000-meter run (15:14.76, first)
- Marta Marksa – 60-meter hurdles (8.61, fifth), pentathlon (3867 points, first)
- Julia Matthews – shot put (47-4 1/4, 14.43m, fourth), weight throw (65-4, 19.91m, second)
- Katie Rogers – 3000-meter run (9:39.28, fifth)
- Gabriella Ruggeri – 800-meter run (2:10.85, fourth)
- Jonas Weschle – 5000-meter run (14:24.87)
- Anya Williams – high jump (5-5 1/4, 1.66m, tied for fourth)
 
Summit League Accolades
Peak Performer of the Week
- Jadyn Keeler – Women's Track (Feb. 17)
- Jadyn Keeler – Women's Track (Feb. 3)
- Louis-Lys Fanucchi – Men's Track (Feb. 3)
- Louis-Lys Fanucchi – Men's Track (Jan. 27)
- Jadyn Keeler – Women's Track (Dec. 9)
 
Fight 'em Hawks!
The Fighting Hawks have already achieved a plethora of new top-10 indoor marks in program history this season, including six chart-topping school records:
* Louis-Lys Fanucchi – 5,000m (No. 1 – 13:58.81)
* Jadyn Keeler – 5,000m (No. 1 – 15:14.76)
* Louis-Lys Fanucchi – 3,000m (No. 1 – 7:58.80)
* Jadyn Keeler – 3,000m (No. 1 – 8:50.45)
* Louis-Lys Fanucchi – Mile Run (No. 1 – 3:57.90)
* Jadyn Keeler – Mile Run (No. 1 – 4:39.06)
 
Preseason Rankings and Athletes to Watch
In the Preseason Summit League Coaches' Poll released on December 3, the North Dakota women were selected second with two first-place votes, while the Fighting Hawk men were picked fourth. The same release named Jadyn Keeler, Matej Hrebacka, Shane Zierden and Julia Matthews as Athletes to Watch in this Summit League this season.
 
On Tap
North Dakota turns its sights to the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28, held on home turf inside the Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center.
 
For updates and more information on North Dakota track and field, follow on social media @UNDtrackfieldXC or visit FightingHawks.com.