Northfield, MN -- Saturday, North Central University (NCU) Track and Field resumed its 2025-26 indoor season at the Ole Opener, hosted by St. Olaf College. The Rams opened the year with a strong mix of top-ten finishes, personal bests, and a historic performance that highlighted the early momentum of the indoor campaign.

Sprints:

In the women's sprints, sophomore Catelyn Ketterling opened her season in the 60m prelims, finishing 18th overall with a time of 8.46 seconds (2nd in UMAC). Sophomore Lily Ciske also competed in the 60m, clocking a 9.29 to place 39th. In the 200m, sophomore Joyce Horton posted a 29.53 (3rd in UMAC) to finish 23rd, before returning later in the meet to place 12th in the 400m with a time of 1:07.95 (4th in UMAC).

Junior Zak Ruhland led the men's sprint group, placing 18th in the 60m prelims with a time of 7.46 before adding a 14th-place finish in the 200m, crossing the line in 24.37 seconds (7th in UMAC).

Distance:

Freshman Claire Nelsen made her indoor debut in both the 800m and 1000m. Nelsen placed 15th in the 800m with a time of 3:15.45 and followed that up with a 21st-place finish in the 1000m, running 4:05.51.

In the men's middle-distance events, sophomore Leighton Helander placed 15th in the 1000m with a time of 2:57.04, while junior David Bjorge followed closely behind in 18th at 3:16.30. The highlight of the meet came in the 600m, where sophomore Josh Hinson delivered a standout performance, finishing fourth overall in 1:29.17 while setting a new North Central program record in the event. Freshman Nathan Splinter also competed in the 600m, placing eighth with a time of 1:38.26.

Throws:

The men's throwers opened the season with multiple solid finishes. Senior Andre Muteba placed 10th in the shot put with a mark of 10.65 meters and later added a 12th-place finish in the weight throw at 10.80 meters. Sophomore Colton Hagen finished 15th in the shot put, recording a throw of 10.14 meters, while freshman Austin Douglass rounded out the group in 22nd with a mark of 6.99 meters.

Jumps:

In the triple jump, sophomore Joyce Horton recorded a top-ten finish, placing sixth overall with a mark of 9.88 meters (4th in UMAC). Sophomore Lily Ciske also cracked the top ten, finishing 10th with a jump of 9.49 meters (5th in UMAC).

Zak Ruhland continued his strong day in the field events, placing fifth in the high jump with a clearance of 1.80 meters (2nd in UMAC), marking a personal best performance.

Relays:

The Rams' 4x400m relay team finished eighth overall with a time of 3:59.34 (2nd in UMAC). The quartet was made up of Josh Hinson, Nathan Splinter, Leighton Helander, and David Bjorge.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams continue their indoor season at the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic on Saturday, January 24th. The meet, hosted by Macalester College, will take place inside the Leonard Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on track and field and all things NCU Athletics.