FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota track and field team closed out 2024 by claiming four individual titles at the Dakota Alumni Classic on Friday, highlighted by Jerzie Finstad capturing the 400-meter crown and setting a new meet record. The Fighting Hawks also recorded 13 top-three finishes at the meet and posted 12 upgrades to the UND top-10 lists.

Finstad claimed the 400-meter title in 55.86 and broke the meet record of 55.93, set by Morgan Milbrath of North Dakota State at the 2016 Dakota Alumni Classic. Later in the meet, Finstad was third in the 200 meters with a time of 24.93.

Tiffanie Magnusson won the pentathlon with a PR total of 3,922 points. Her point total currently ranks No. 2 in UND history. Magnusson won both the long jump (19-2 3/4, 5.86m) and 800 meters (2:24.39) in the pentathlon. She also tied for the top finish in the pentathlon high jump with a clearance of 5-6 1/2 (1.69m), which tied her for the No. 10 clearance in program history.

Ethan Thomas won the second shot put title of his collegiate career with a PR throw of 58-11 1/2 (17.97m), improving his No. 2 throw on the UND top-10 list.

Kenna Curry captured the weight throw title with a toss of 70-7 1/4 (21.52m), while Julia Matthews was third with a personal-best mark of 59-9 3/4 (18.23m).

Kimberly Hitchen was the runner-up in the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 57.98.

Nadia Evans placed second in the 200 meters and clocked a time of 24.82, which ranks No. 5 in school history. Earlier in the meet, Evans finished fifth in the 60 meters and posted the No. 2 time in program history (7.69).

Malene Kollberg was third in the pentathlon with 3,594 points. She recorded the top finish in the pentathlon 60-meter hurdles (8.80) and was second in the pentathlon 800 meters (2:27.90).

Marta Marksa finished third in the 60-meter hurdles with a PR time of 8.64, which tied her for the No. 2 time on the UND top-10 list. Marksa qualified for the final after automatically qualifying from prelims with a time of 8.68, which ranked as the No. 3 time in school history prior to her PR in the finals.

Shane Zierden, competing in his first meet as a Fighting Hawk, placed third in the long jump with a leap of 22-11 3/4 (7.00m). His mark tied the No. 8 jump on the UND top-10 list. Towards the end of the meet, Zierden also recorded the No. 4 leap in school history in the triple jump with a jump of 46-1 1/4 (14.05m) and placed fourth.

Sawyer Nelson also competed in the triple jump with Zierden and finished third with a leap of 46-6 (14.17m). That mark currently sits No. 3 in the event in UND history.

Eve Goldstein placed third in the shot put with a toss of 45-9 1/4 (13.95m).

Eucabeth Kivikangas and Justina Esangbedo also moved up the UND top-10 list in the pentathlon, while Porsha Miles added her name to the list in the 60 meters.

Kivikangas placed fourth in the pentathlon with a personal-best total of 3,579 points, moving her up to No. 5 in the event on the UND top-10 list. Her top finish came in the pentathlon shot put, where she was second with a toss of 42-2 3/4 (12.87m). She also posted PRs in the 60-meter hurdles (9.16), high jump (5-0 1/2, 1.54m) and 800 meters (2:31.03).

Esangbedo took seventh in the pentathlon with 3,406 points, which improved her No. 9 point total in school history. She won the pentathlon shot put (43-10 3/4, 13.38m) and tied the No. 10 mark on the UND top-10 list at the time in the 60m hurdles with a time of 9.07. She also tied her PR in the high jump (4-10 1/4, 1.48m) and had a personal-best time in the 800 meters (2:47.71).

Miles also climbed the UND top-10 list in the 60 meters and recorded the No. 3 time in program history (7.71) while placing seventh.

North Dakota will kick off 2025 with the Bison Team Cup in Fargo on Jan. 18.

POST-MEET NOTES
* North Dakota captured four event crowns at the Dakota Alumni Classic, winning two individual titles in field events, one on the track and one in the pentathlon.
* Jerzie Finstad set a new Dakota Alumni Classic meet record in the 400 meters, winning the title in 55.86. She broke the meet record of 55.93, set by Morgan Milbrath of North Dakota State at the 2016 Dakota Alumni Classic.
* Finstad (400 meters), Tiffanie Magnusson (pentathlon), Ethan Thomas (shot put) and Kenna Curry (weight throw) were the Fighting Hawks that won event titles.
* The Fighting Hawks finished the meet with 13 top-three individual finishes.
* 12 upgrades were posted to the UND top-10 lists on Friday.
* The Fighting Hawks will return to Fargo for their fifth meet of the season on Jan. 18.