GRAND FORKS, N.D. – In the final meet before the conference championships next weekend, the University of North Dakota track and field team put on a shimmering performance at the UND Tune-Up on Friday afternoon inside the Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center.
 
A plethora of personal bests and top-five finishes highlighted the afternoon competition, like in the women's 60-meter dash finals. The trio of competing Fighting Hawks all clocked new personal bests, led by Alimath Salou's runner-up finish in 7.71 seconds. She now sits fourth all-time and is joined by Patricija Grosberga, who sits seventh all-time with her third-place clocking of 7.75. Kim Hitch also competed in the finals, clocking a PR of 7.98 for seventh place.
 
In the 60-meter hurdles, Ryan Lange clocked a huge PR of 8.28 to win the event and break into the top-10 of UND history for seventh all-time. Marta Marksa also ran in the finals of the women's half of the event, crossing the finish line in 8.59 seconds to finish as runner-up.
 
Three total Hawks finished in the top-five across the men's and women's 200-meter dash, with Josh Neil (22.23, PR, eighth all-time) taking fifth for the men as Ava Phrakonkham (24.90) was third and Kim Hitch (25.39) was fifth.
 
North Dakota swept the top four placings in the men's invitational 800-meter run as Till Woldrich led the way. He clocked a 1:51.68 for a new personal best, a first-place finish and the seventh-best time in UND history. Tanner Schiller and Darby Griffin also each ran new personal bests of 1:52.68 and 1:52.73 for second and third place, respectively, as Luke Fehrenbacher took fourth in 1:56.86.
 
Gabriella Ruggeri represented UND in the women's part of the event as she won the collegiate 800-meter run in a fiery time of 2:11.34.
 
Fighting Hawk success continued into the mile run, with another strong showing from UND on both sides of competition. Aleksa Milanovic broke the meet record with his PR of 4:08.20 to win the event and take sixth in the UND record books. Ian Busche ran a 4:10.44 for third, Lennart Lindstrot was fourth in 4:18.10 and Ethan Kimmel came in fifth after clocking a personal best of 4:20.97.
 
In the women's mile run, after clocking a season-best time of 5:22.39, Rachel Hughes took third place overall.
 
All three finishing Hawks in the men's collegiate 3000-meter run placed in the top five with Nika Angell taking second place. His time of 8:31.86 marked a new personal best as Weston Forward took third in 8:44.50 and Jack Turnbull ran an 8:51.57 for fourth place.
 
Over in field competition, Carson Kunz won the men's high jump with his clearance of 6-3 1/2 (1.92m) as Wyatt Genelin followed right behind in second place with a mark of 6-3 1/2 (1.92m). Anya Williams was runner-up in the women's half of the event as she tallied a height of 5-5 3/4 (1.67m).
 
Shane Zierden won the men's long jump and broke the meet record with his season-best leap of 23-4 1/2 (7.12m) while Marksa claimed fifth in the women's long jump alongside her mark of 18-6 (5.64m).
 
Sawyer Nelson secured his runner-up finish in the men's triple jump with a mark of 45-11 1/4 (14.00m) for a new season best.
 
In the women's pole vault, all competing athletes finished in the top five. Emily Ash cleared 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) for her runner-up finish while Jerzie Horner came third with a height of 11-5 3/4 (3.50m). Emma Briggs rounded out the finishers with her mark of 11-5 3/4 (3.50m) for fifth place.
 
Tyler Thoreson soared to second place of the men's shot put after his throw of 54-4 3/4 (16.58m) and, over in the women's competition, three Hawks finished in the top five. Kajsa Cabanes Andersson (45-1, 13.74m) took third, Julia Matthews (44-10 3/4, 13.68m) was fourth and Haidyn Skeen (43-10, 13.36m) finished fifth.
 
North Dakota dominated in the men's and women's weight throw, highlighted by an event win off the throw of Cailey Moton. She took first with a personal-best mark of 61-9 3/4 (18.84m), which now sits eight all-time in UND history, while Kaylynn Red Tomahawk (57-4 1/4, 17.48m) was runner-up and Katelyn Vesledahl (53-9 3/4, 16.40m) finished fourth.
 
For the men, Carter Byron was third with a throw of 57-4 3/4 (17.49m) and Boaz Raderschadt was fourth with a 57-4 1/4 (17.48m).
 
Closing the meet was the 4x400-meter relays that saw the women's 'A' team of Hitchen, Marksa, Gretchen Raney and Ruggeri clock a 3:49.75 for a first-place finish.
 
The men's 'A' team of Dash Ohlsen, Neil, Cruz Megazzine and Wyatt Grueneich ran a 3:19.24 for first and the sixth-fastest time at UND while Ryan Lange, Henry Nelson, Griffin and Woldrich teamed up for the 'B' team to take second in 3:23.76. The final team of Schiller, Fehrenbacher, Kimmel and Milanovic clocked a 3:32.78 for third place
 
The next bout of action comes in the form of the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28. Competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. on each day inside familiar territory for the Fighting Hawks: Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center.
 
Post-Meet Notes

• 38 Fighting Hawks finished in the top-five of the individual events at the UND Tune-Up
• Eight events saw new entries into the UND Top-10 lists
• Friday served as the last meet before the conference championships next weekend
• It also marked the first time UND ran a relay event this season

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