AZUSA, Calif. – Two Fighting Hawks led the charge for North Dakota track and field as competition wrapped up at the Bryan Clay Multis on Friday afternoon in California.
In Group B of the women's heptathlon, two athletes faced the final three events and made the most of their opportunities.
Marta Marksa kicked off day two with a pair of 13
th-place finishes in the long jump and javelin throw, tallying marks of 17-11 (5.46m) and 94-6 (28.81m), respectively. The junior then exploded in the final event of the heptathlon—the 800-meter run—as she collected a runner-up finish in a personal-best time of 2:18.50. Her performance earned her a final push of 844 points for a day-high and moved her into a final ninth-place finish with 5057 points in her first career heptathlon, which now sits fifth in UND history.
Competition started strong for
Eucabeth Kivikangas as she took eighth place in both the long jump with a leap of 18-4 1/4 (5.59m)—which earned her a day-high 726 points—and the javelin throw with a mark of 107-7 (32.80m). The final event of the heptathlon saw the junior cross the finish line with a time of 2:27.95 for seventh place and served as a final push to a career-best performance. Kivikangas finished 11
th in Group B with an even 5000 points, marking a new PR and a new seventh-best point total in program history.
With multi action now completed out in California, North Dakota track and field turns its sights this weekend to the NDSU Spring Classic, which is set to take place in Fargo on Saturday and Sunday.
Post-Meet Notes
- A pair of Fighting Hawks wrapped up competition at the Bryan Clay Multis
- Marta Marksa finished ninth in Group B with 5057 points
- Eucabeth Kivikangas took 11th with 5000 points
- Each athlete tallied new UND Top 10 point totals
- Marksa collected a new 800-meter run PR
For more information on North Dakota track and field, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media
@UNDtrackfieldXC.
