Northfield, MN -- Sunday, the North Central University (NCU) Track and Field teams competed at the Carleton Relays hosted by Carleton College. The meet, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 18, was pushed back a day to avoid severe weather. Competing at Laird Stadium, the Rams turned in a strong showing, highlighted by multiple top-ten finishes and personal bests.

Sprints:

On the women's side, junior sprinter/jumper Deshawna Hodges led the way with a pair of standout performances, placing 3rd in the 100m (13.60, SB) and 2nd in the 200m (27.77). Sophomore sprinter/jumper Lily Ciske added a strong finish in the 200m, placing 3rd overall (29.05) to give the Rams two top-three finishes in the event.

For the men, freshman sprinter Owen Ellefson competed in both short sprints, recording a personal best in the 200m (26.06) while also competing in the 100m (12.59). Ellefson's PR highlighted the Rams' progress in the sprint events.

Distance:

In the men's distance events, sophomore Leighton Helander posted a personal best in the 1500m (4:37.01), continuing his steady development this outdoor season.

Throws:

The women were led by senior thrower Jackie Lindsay, who placed 6th in the javelin (24.82m), securing a top-ten finish for the Rams.

On the men's side, junior Zak Ruhland delivered a strong performance in the javelin, placing 3rd overall (46.45m). Freshman Nathan Splinter followed with a 4th-place finish (34.10m), while junior Connor Yslas added another top-five placement in 5th (27.62m). Senior thrower Andre Muteba added a pair of top-five finishes, taking 3rd in the hammer throw (38.64m) and 5th in the discus (32.02m) to lead a productive day in the field events.

Jumps:

In the women's jumps, junior Deshawna Hodges recorded a 7th-place finish in the long jump (4.69m), adding another top-ten mark to her day. Sophomore Lily Ciske jumped 4.27m in the event to place 11th overall. 

For the men, freshman Jalen Dourisseau highlighted the group with a personal best and 9th-place finish (5.53m) in the long jump. Freshman David Diamond followed closely with a 10th-place mark (5.15m), giving the Rams two top-ten finishers in the event. Freshman Tony Abourjeily turned in an 11th-place finish with a leap of 4.96m in the long jump.

Relays:

The men's 4x400m relay team of junior Zak Ruhland, sophomore Josh Hinson, sophomore Colton Hagen, and freshman David Diamond placed 2nd overall with a time of 3:43.40.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams will compete at the Gary Wilson Invite hosted by the University of Minnesota on Wednesday, April 22. The meet will take place at the U of M Track & Field Stadium in Minneapolis, 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.