GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The conference championship season is finally upon the North Dakota track and field team as the Fighting Hawks prep to host the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday inside the Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center.
 
Competition is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. with the multi events before field kick off at 3 p.m. and track events start at 3:30 p.m. Saturday will resume at 9:30 a.m. with the multi events once again while field starts at 11:30 a.m. and track continues at 1 p.m. Live results will be provided by Hero's Timing.  
 
Last Time Out
In the final meet before the conference championships, 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 Hitchen 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 Hitchen (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 Niko 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
 
Conference Contenders
The Fighting Hawks currently hold 24 entries that sit in top five of their respective events heading into the conference championship meet:
- Ethan Adams – 3000-meter run (8:08.78, third)
- 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), 3000-meter run (9:31.04, third)
- 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, fifth)
- Anya Williams – high jump (5-5 1/4, 1.66m, fourth)
- Women's 4x400-meter relay – Hitchen, Marksa, Raney, Ruggeri (3:49.75, fifth)
 
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
Should North Dakota have any national qualifiers, the NCAA Championship meet will take place on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 down in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
For updates and more information on North Dakota track and field, follow on social media @UNDtrackfieldXC or visit FightingHawks.com.