Complete Results

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The North Dakota State women's 4x400m relay team raced to yet another school record and claimed a bid to the NCAA Championships on Saturday night at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds, putting an exclamation point on one of the best days in the history of the Bison program.
 
The squad of Paige Stratioti, Morgan Milbrath, Antoinette Goodman and Ashley Tingelstad cut nearly two seconds off their NDSU all-time best in the event, taking eighth place overall in 3:32.85. That performance ranks the Bison No. 13 in the nation this season.
 
It wasn't necessarily dramatic. The race didn't play out like a Hollywood script. There were no big comebacks or last-second surges to the finish line. Instead, the Bison simply took care of business.
 
NDSU entered the race with the third-fastest time among the eight teams in its heat. The top three finishers would advance to the national semifinals in Eugene, Ore. The Bison did exactly what they were supposed to do.
 
"It was businesslike," said Tingelstad, who split 51.9 seconds for her anchor leg. "We knew what we had to come in and do, but it was a little stressful because I knew if we didn't qualify, I would be done. There was a little more on the line today."
 
Just as they won a sprint medley relay title at the prestigious Drake Relays in April, the Bison showed a belief that they belong among the nation's best.
 
Perhaps most significantly, the Bison looked like they belonged. Racing against Arkansas, USC, Iowa and Arizona among others in their heat, the four women from NDSU didn't flinch. Stratioti and Milbrath kept NDSU in third and fourth place over the first two legs, and Goodman moved the Bison comfortably into third during her carry.
 
Shortly after Tingelstad took the final handoff, there was little doubt that NDSU would be needing more plane tickets to Oregon.
 
It was the latest chapter in a remarkable season for the NDSU relay team. The Bison broke the school's indoor 4x400m relay record three times in 21 days by a total of more than six seconds. They won indoor and outdoor Summit League titles, including the seventh straight outdoor 4x400 league title for the school.
 
At the NCAA Indoor Championships, the Bison finished 11th in the country for second-team All-American honors. Now, they'll have the chance to add some hardware for the outdoor season. Tingelstad said the team won't feel out of place at an NCAA event.
 
"It's kind of the same as indoor. No one really expected us to be there," said the senior from East Grand Forks, Minn. "Maybe now more people will know who we are."
 
The 4x400m relay was the third NDSU event on Saturday night to advance to the NCAA finals site in Oregon. Goodman earned an individual bid in the 200m dash, and senior Deborah John locked up a spot in the 100m hurdles. Stratioti punched her ticket in the 800m the night before.
 
While the Bison are confident they belong on the national scene, they realize the significance of their performances. Tingelstad summed it up best.
 
"It's unbelievable. I knew those three could make it – Deb, Nette and Paige, along with the 4x4," she said.  "It's crazy to think that this many people from a small Division I school are going to NCAAs."