St. Paul, MN -- Saturday, the North Central University (NCU) Track and Field teams competed at the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic Meet hosted by Macalester College. Today's meet was highlighted by multiple personal bests, top-ten finishes, and another record-breaking performance. Sophomore Joyce Horton broke her own program record in the women's 60m hurdles with a new PR of 9.98 seconds. 

Sprints:

Sophomore hurdler Joyce Horton continued her standout indoor season with a strong showing in the 60m hurdles, clocking a personal-best 9.98 seconds in the prelims (3rd in UMAC). The performance not only marked a PR, but also saw Horton break her own school record in the event. In the 200m, sophomore Lily Ciske crossed the line in 30.64 seconds, gaining valuable experience against a competitive field.

In the sprints, freshman Owen Ellefson competed in the 60m prelims, finishing with a time of 8.17 seconds. Ellefson also doubled back in the 200m, posting a 27.10. Sophomore Zak Ruhland ran 24.42 seconds in the 200m, while freshman Nathan Splinter recorded a time of 26.73 seconds. Sophomore Josh Hinson placed 18th in the 400m with a time of 53.21 seconds (1st in UMAC) to lead a deep sprint group for NCU.

Distance:

Freshman distance runner Claire Nelsen represented the Rams in the 3000m, finishing with a time of 13:59.23.

Sophomore Leighton Helander competed in both the mile and the 800m, finishing the mile in 5:04.96 before turning in a personal-best 2:17.45 in the 800m. The PR highlighted a productive day on the track for Helander.

Throws:

Freshman thrower Abi Rogers recorded a mark of 6.09m in the shot put.

Senior Andre Muteba led the Rams in the throws, competing in both the weight throw and shot put. Muteba posted a mark of 12.08m in the weight throw (5th in UMAC) and followed it up with a 10.47m effort in the shot put. Sophomore Colton Hagen added a 10.09m throw in the shot put, while freshman Austin Douglass delivered a personal-best 8.65m in the event.

Jumps:

In the jumps, sophomore Lily Ciske placed 9th overall in the triple jump with a mark of 9.97m (5th in UMAC), earning a season best. Sophomore Joyce Horton also impressed in the triple jump, finishing 7th overall with a season-best 10.12m (3rd in UMAC). Ciske also added a season-best 4.29m in the long jump (7th in UMAC).

Junior Zak Ruhland delivered one of the top finishes of the meet for the Rams, placing 5th in the high jump with a clearance of 1.80m, a personal best.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams continue their indoor season at the St. Olaf Invitational & Multi on Friday January 30t. The meet, hosted by St.Olaf College, will take place inside the Tostrud Center in Northfield, MN. 

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.