Minneapolis, MN -- Friday, the North Central University (NCU) Track and Field teams competed at the Snowshoe Open hosted by the University of Minnesota. Today's meet was highlighted by several strong individual efforts, including multiple personal bests and a top-10 finish in the high jump from Zak Ruhland as the Rams tuned up for next weekend's conference championship.

Sprints:

On the women's side, junior Deshawna Hodges opened the meet in the 60m prelims, clocking a season-best at 8.52 seconds. She followed that up with a solid 28.98-second performance in the 200m. Sophomore Lily Ciske delivered a personal best in the 60m prelims, crossing the line in 9.09 seconds, continuing her steady improvement in the short sprints.

For the men, freshman Michael Dagher posted a personal best of 7.82 seconds in the 60m prelims. Freshman Owen Ellefson added an 8.03-second finish in the same event. In the 200m, sophomore Josh Hinson led the way with a time of 25.43 seconds. Dagher returned to the track to record another PR, finishing in 26.01 seconds, while Ellefson also secured a personal best with a 26.63-second performance.

Distance:

In the women's distance events, freshman Claire Nelsen turned in a personal best in the 800m, finishing in 3:00.20.

On the men's side, sophomore Leighton Helander paced the Rams in the 800m with a time of 2:18.61, while freshman Emmanuel Benitez followed in 2:22.41. Junior David Bjorge represented NCU in the mile, crossing the line in 5:24.64 as the Rams gained valuable late-season race experience.

Jumps:

In the women's long jump, Deshawna Hodges recorded a mark of 4.42m, showcasing her versatility across sprint and field events.

Highlighting the men's field events, junior Zak Ruhland secured a top-10 finish in the high jump, clearing 1.80m to place 7th overall.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams wrap up their indoor season at the UMAC Championship Meet on Friday, February 27th, and Saturday, February 28th. The meet will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Superior at the Dr. Lydia C. Thering Fieldhouse in Superior, WI.

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.