Bison Women Capture 15th Summit League Outdoor Championship, 30th Team Title Overall

ST. PAUL (NDSU/KVRR) – The North Dakota State women’s track & field team won its 15th outdoor conference title in 16 tries Saturday, bringing home the trophy on the final day of the Summit League Outdoor Championships in St. Paul.

Combined with 15 indoor team titles, the NDSU women have now won 30 out of 33 team conference championships since joining The Summit League in 2008.

The Bison women totaled 238 points in the team race, beating second-place South Dakota (197) and third-place South Dakota State (131.5).

NDSU senior Salmata Korgho posted one of the most impressive performances of the day, running 13.19 to win the Summit League 100m hurdles title, setting a new NDSU school record and moving into the top 50 in the NCAA this year.

The Bison women finished 1-4-7 in the 100m hurdles, with Bailee Dierks fourth in a personal-best 13.43 and Sydney Arndt seventh in a season-best 13.91.

Reagan Baesler won the 1500m title in 4:25.32 – the second-fastest time of her career. Grace Link finished fourth, and Alexis Roehl was sixth to give NDSU 18 team points in the event.

Senior Nell Graham was the league runner-up in the 400m dash, clocking 53.10. Allie Niska ran a new personal-best by a half-second, finishing in 53.80 for third place to rank eighth in school history.

Dierks took second place in the 400m hurdles final, running a lifetime-best 58.76 to rank third in NDSU history. Kaci Cooper was fourth in 1:00.54, and Angel Pratt was sixth in 1:01.29.

Ilise Jennings (11.60) and Anika Larson (11.79) placed second and third in the 100m dash. The Bison women finished 3-6-7-8 in the 200m dash, led by Graham taking third place in 23.94.

Brita Birkeland took second in the 800m, running a lifetime-best 2:10.31. Kate LeBlanc placed sixth, and Link finished eighth.

The Bison women took second in the 4x400m relay with the team of Graham, Cooper, Birkeland and Pratt in 3:43.48.

Baesler finished third in the 5000m, and freshman Logan Harz took fifth.

Merrideth Spiers placed third in the discus with a throw of 148-6 (45.28m). Riley Quinn claimed eighth for the Bison.

The Bison women finished 4-6-7 in the triple jump with Joy Nnantah (39-07.25 / 12.07m), Grace VanErp (personal-best 39-04.00 / 11.99m), and Ella Gardner (38-11.00 / 11.86m).

Jennings, Korgho, Larson and Arndt finished fourth in the 4x100m relay with a time of 46.23, ranking 11th-fastest in school history.

Larson was named the Summit League Newcomer of the Championship as the top-scoring true freshman. Graham was the top-scoring women’s athlete of the meet, totaling 26 points.