For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
- Kimberly Peterson (Pole Vault, So., Elizabeth, Colo. / Elizabeth HS) - Sioux Falls
- Won the pole vault at the Vance Butler Invitational
- Cleared 13-2.25 (4.02m) to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship
- Height is the third highest in Division II this season

NSIC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Altoniece Williams (Sprints/Hurdles, So., Miami, Fla. / Miami Northwestern HS) - Minnesota State
- Won the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 13.58 at the Vance Butler Relays on Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Ranks third in the 100m hurdles in Division II
- Won the 100-meter dash in 11.94, which ranks as the 13th fastest time in Division II

NSIC Team Notes
Augustana
Women’s Track
- Kayla Mescher finished first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:02.74
- Mescher  was also a part of the women’s 4x400-meter relay team that placed third with a time of 4:00.35
Women’s Field
- Bree Woelber set the school record in the women’s long jump with a jump of 5.83 meters at the Vance Butler Invitational
- The jump was an NCAA Provisional qualifier
- Woelber finished in third in the women’s high  jump clearing the bar at 1.65 meters

Bemidji State
- Bemidji State pulled out of the weather-delayed Hamline Invitational April 3, delaying its 2016 outdoor opener to April 9-10 when the team travels to St. Joeseph, Minn. to participate in the Saint John’s University/College of St. Benedict Invitational
- Emeline Sevila and Sara Melom were named as BSU’s “Athletes to Watch” as a part of the 2016 NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
- The Beavers, under first-year head coach Kevin Kean, were picked to finish 14th by the league’s coaches

Concordia-St. Paul
Women’s Track
- Gloria Williams won the 100m dash at the Hamline Invitational with a time of 12.47 seconds
 Women’s Field
- Marianna Kramer finished third in the pole vault by clearing a height of 10’11.75” at the Hamline Invitational
- Kramer also finished 22nd in the high jump

University of Mary
- U-Mary opened outdoor season at the Tom Benich Invite, hosted by NCAA Division I Northern Colorado
Women’s Track
- Tonie-Ann Pandohie won the 100 meter hurdles at the Tom Benich Invite
- Pandohie posted a provisional qualifying time of 14.04 seconds
Women’s Field
- All-American Faith Kjelstrup placed in the top ten in three different events
- Kjelstrup was second in the triple jump (37’ 10.75”), fourth in the 100 meter dash and 10th in the 200 meter dash
- Molly McDonald placed third in the high jump (5’ 5.25”) and third in the 100 meter hurdles (14.55 seconds)
- Julia Hammerschmidt blazed through the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 62.58 seconds to claim third
- The Marauders next compete at home, hosting the Al Bortke Open on Saturday, April 9, at MDU Resources Community Bowl

Minnesota Duluth
- Freshman Elizabeth Brunner and seniors Chanel Miller and Hannah Olson all came away individual titles at the Hamline University Invitational Sunday
Women’s Track
- Olson (10:31.25) and sophomore Breanna Colbenson (10:43.25) finished 1-2, respectively, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and did so in NCAA II provisionally-qualifying times
- Miller was first in the 100-meter hurdles, posting a time of 14.27 and also teamed with sophomore Erica Kesseh and freshmen Danielle Kohlwey and Allie Stalboerger to take top honors in the 4 x 100-meter relay (49.00)
Women’s Field
- Brunner reigned in the triple jump with a leap of 37-11.5 while also taking third in the long jump  at 16-11.25
- Next up for UMD is University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Ashton May Invitational this Saturday (April 9)

MInnesota State
Women’s Track
- Sophomore Altoniece Williams won the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 13.58, which is currently the third fastest time in Division II
- Williams also won the 100-meter dash at the Vance Butler Invitational in 11.94, which is the 13th fastest time in Division II
Women’s Field
- Khadiya Hollingsworth won the high jump with a leap of 5-8 at the Vance Butler Invitational, which is the fifth best in all of Division II
 
MSU Moorhead
Women’s Track
- MaKenzie Smith  won the 3,000-meter run at the Vance Butler Relays on Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Smith’s winning time was 10:30.21
Women’s Field
- Katrina Mellegard won the hammer throw at the Vance Butler Invitational
- Mellegard’s winning toss was 176-4, a personal-best and NCAA provisional qualifying mark
- Mellegard mark is 17th-best in DII so far this outdoor season
- MSUM will compete at the Al Bortke Open at the University of Mary on April 9

Minot State
- Minot State finished with an event winner, three personal bests and four season best at the Vance Butler Memorial Invitational Saturday and Sunday at Howard Wood Field
Women’s Track
- DelRay Audet placed 10th overall in the 100-meter hurdles, setting a personal best and moved into fourth all-time at Minot State with a time of 15.23 seconds
- Dijah Silva earned personal bests in both the 200 and 100 meters, moving into MSU’s top 10 in both as she has the eighth fastest time in the 200 and the 10th fastest in the 100
Women’s Field:
- Amber Hunsaker won the women’s javelin with a toss of 127-feet-2, making the second straight win in the javelin for the freshman
- The Beavers will travel south down US Highway 83 – the fifth longest north-south highway in the United States – for the University of Mary Al Bortke Invite Saturday

Northern State
- Northern State traveled to the State Farm Emporia State Relays this past Saturday and came home with a fifth place finish
- In total the Wolves notched eight top ten performances, including three relay top fives
Women’s Track
- Dakotah Bullen led the Wolves on the day with a first place finish in the 5000-meter run. The junior’s time of 17:13.51 defeated the next finisher by over ten seconds
- Paige Larson was also strong for the distance runners, finishing second in the 3000-meter run with a time of 10:51.29
- The Wolves will return to action this Friday and Saturday for Northwest Missouri State and Maryville, Missouri

Sioux Falls
- After USF’s pole vault opened the season in Texas, the entire Sioux Falls Track & Field team competed at the Vance Butler Invite
Women’s Track
- Jada Carr took seventh in the 100-meter dash and was 0.05 seconds off the USF record
Women’s Field
- The Cougars dominated the women’s pole vault, hitting two automatic marks and a national top-five provisional mark to sweep the event
- Kimberly Peterson joined Courtney Crandall as an automatic qualifier this season and both cleared 4.02 meters (13 feet-2.25 inches), but Peterson earned the victory on misses at the previous height
- Crandall already owns the top mark in Division II and Peterson moves from No. 3 to a tie for second
- Sophie Harano hit a lifetime PR by clearing 3.92 meters (12-10.25) and moved from 18th nationally to a tie for fifth
- Haley Hinseth placed fourth in two events, the shot put and javelin throw
- Carr also hit a PR in the long jump that ranks 10 10 at USF
- Sioux Falls stays home this week, hosting the USF Open at the Lillibridge Track & Field Complex in Sioux Falls

Southwest Minnesota State
Women’s Track
- Hannah Palmeter set a school record in the 5,000 meters on Saturday with a time of 18.10 to finish eighth out of 42 at the Hamline Invite
- She also placed ninth in the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.57
- Southwest Minnesota State competes at the University of Sioux Falls Invite on Saturday

St. Cloud State
-St. Cloud State opened outdoor track and field season this weekend and participated in the Vance Butler Memorial Invitational on April 3
Women’s Track
-Junior Jasmine Grant finished second in the 400m dash (59.01)
Women’s Field
- Senior Heather Clankie achieved an NCAA Outdoor Provisional Qualifying mark in finishing as the runner up in the women’s discus with her throw of 46.21
-Junior Patience Yalartai placed third in the long jump (5.68m)

Upper Iowa
- Both freshman Shay Lierman and junior Bethani Jacobsen set new school marks at the Dingels Brueggen Open in Winona, Minnesota
Women’s Track
- Jacobsen, who also owns the 3,000-meter record, broke the 5,000-meter mark
- Jacobsen followed her 3,000-meter record run from last week by crushing the 5,000-meter mark this week
- Jacobsen bested the old mark by nearly a minute and 30 seconds and took fifth place with a time of 20:04.25
Women’s Field
- Lierman broke her own long jump record
- Lierman launched herself 5.14-meters (16 feet, 10.5 inches) to win the long jump and break the Upper Iowa record by nearly half a foot
- The Peacocks are scheduled for a week off as they prepare for the Holst Invite on Apr. 16 in St. Paul, Minnesota, hosted by Concordia University, St. Paul

Wayne State
- Wayne State competed at the ESU State Farm Relays
Women’s Track
Melissa Kroll recorded a 12th place finish in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:00.12
Women’s Field
- Kyndra Sturm had the top finish for WSC at the Emporia State Relays in Kansas
- Sturm just missed an NCAA provisional mark (less than one meter) by taking sixth with a heave of 169’ 1” in the hammer throw
- The Wildcats will compete in the NSIC vs. MIAA Challenge on Friday and Saturday in Marysville, Missouri
 
Winona State
- The Warriors won their opening outdoor competition at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois with 423 points and a margin of victory of 210 points over second place, Northern Michigan
Women’s Track
- Raissa Hansen won the Steeplechase at the Viking Olympics in her first ever attempt at the event in steady 30 mph winds in Rock Island, Ill.
- Hansen ran a comfortable 11:27.14 to take the event and rank her third in the NSIC this spring
Women’s Field
- Nicole Nelson won the Hammer throw at the Viking Olympics with a throw of 183-7, breaking the meet record by over a meter and hitting a NCAA II Provisional mark ranking her eighth in Division II this spring
- The Warriors head to the MIAA vs NSIC Showdown this weekend in Maryville, Missouri

NSIC Athletes of the Week
Women’s Field
4/05/16    Kimberly Peterson - USF 

Women’s Track
4/05/16    Altoniece Williams - MSU