North Dakota track and field recorded 25 top-five finishes at the NDSU Tune-Up in Fargo on May 8, as the team prepared for the upcoming conference championships.
The event marked the final meet before the Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships, providing athletes with an opportunity to fine-tune their performances. Several Fighting Hawks achieved individual victories and personal bests during Friday’s competition.
Marta Marksa finished second in the women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.57 seconds, just .02 seconds off her school record. She went on to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:02.28. In men’s hurdles, Ryan Lange placed fourth in the 110-meter event while Josh Neil won the men’s 400-meter hurdles.
The team’s sprinters saw strong results in both men’s and women’s races. Gretchen Raney took first place in the women’s 200-meter dash, followed by Alimath Salou in second and Eucabeth Kivikangas in fourth. Dash Ohlsen led North Dakota men with a second-place finish in his race, while Cruz Megazzini, Max Roller, and Maverick Kneefe also placed among the top five.
Field events brought more success for North Dakota athletes. Cailey Moton won the women’s hammer throw; Julia Matthews finished fourth; and several teammates reached finals as well. Carter Byron led North Dakota men with a fourth-place finish in hammer throw. Ilaria Villa secured victory for women’s discus throw—her fifth top-two finish this season—while Tyler Thoreson set a new personal best to move up UND’s all-time shot put list.
Other notable performances included Emily Ash winning women’s pole vault, Wyatt Genelin claiming first place—and a personal best—in men’s high jump (now ranked fifth-best mark in school history), and multiple athletes earning new personal records across various disciplines.
North Dakota will return to action at Fargo next week when NDSU hosts the Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 14-16.
