Maples, Dierks, Bison 4x100 Relay Headline First Day in Southern California

Thursday, April 11

Long Beach, Calif.

North Dakota State Athletics

Pacific Coast Intercollegiate

Photo by: Zachary Lucy

Maples, Dierks, Bison 4x100 Relay Headline First Day in Southern California

4/11/2024 10:24:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The North Dakota State women's track & field team opened the first of three days of competition in Southern California with a number of impressive and historically ranked marks on Thursday.

At the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate meet hosted by Long Beach State, NDSU senior Lexi Maples won the hammer throw with a personal-best 213-2 (64.97m). She is now No. 3 in NDSU history and 10th in the NCAA this year, as well as standing fifth all-time among New Zealanders in the hammer throw.

Senior Ilise Jennings ran a personal-best 11.58 in the 100m dash, ranking fourth in NDSU history.

Jennings, Salmata Korgho, Anika Larson and Kendra Kelley ran 45.57 for fourth place in the 4x100m relay, ranking them fifth-fastest in school history. It was the fastest Bison 4x100m relay in 10 years.

Korgho was the top collegian (third overall) in the 100m hurdles, clocking a wind-aided 13.32.

Bailee Dierks ran a personal-best 13.69 in the 100m hurdles, ranking fifth-fastest in NDSU history. She returned later in the meet to clock a career-best 59.14 in the 400m hurdles – No. 6 on the NDSU all-time list.

Bison freshman Joy Nnantah set a new personal-best in the triple jump, leaping 40-03.25 (12.27m) to rank 11th in NDSU history.

At the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif., senior Alexis Roehl ran a personal-best 10:46.72 in the 3,000m steeplechase to rank eighth all-time at NDSU.

Back at Long Beach State, Brita Birkeland set a new 800m personal-best of 2:11.18, placing third in the meet.

NDSU freshman Ella Gardner posted a personal-best mark of 19-04.25 (5.90m) in the long jump.

Kelley took second in the 200m dash, running 23.64 into a headwind, and Jennings placed fifth in 24.32.

Allie Niska clocked the second-fastest 400m dash of her career, running 55.33 for seventh place. Angel Pratt posted the third-fastest 400m hurdles race of her career, finishing in 1:01.49.

Merrideth Spiers recorded the second-best hammer throw of her career at 179-10 (54.82m). Sophomore Riley Quinn threw a season-best 46-00.75 (14.04m) in the shot put.

Tay Rude matched her collegiate outdoor-best 5-03.25 (1.61m) in the high jump.

Competition will continue on Friday and Saturday for the Bison.