Apr. 29, 2007

results: [men][women]

ABERDEEN, S.D. -- The 2007 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships got underway Sunday with the heptathlon and decathlon competitions in Aberdeen, S.D. Bemidji State University freshman Zac Preble (Coleraine, Minn.), the 2007 NSIC indoor decathlon champion, holds a 300-point lead over the rest of the field after five events.

Preble used three first place finishes on the first day racking up 3,457 points to own a 300-point cushion over his nearest competitor, Dan Fetzer of Minnesota State University Moorhead, going into day two and the final five events.

The freshman earned first place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.83, crossed the line first in the 100 meters clocking a time of 11.36 and claimed the top spot in the shot put with a toss of 46-04.75--nearly nine feet beyond Northern State University's Brady Lesner in second place.

Preble also placed second in the high jump clearing 5-10.5 and took fifth in the long jump stretching the tape to 19-06.5.

In addition to Preble, BSU's Michael Hougen (Sr., Bemidji, Minn.) is also in the mix for early team points towards the 2007 outdoor championships. Hougen sits in fourth place with 3,031 points after day one, 426 points off Preble's pace.

Hougen finished among he top four in four of the five events. He tied Preble for third with 5-10.5 in the high jump and placed third in the 400-meter dash (53-65) while he took fourth in the shot put (35-00.25) and 100 meters (11.72). He also added an eighth place finish in the long jump.

In the heptathlon, BSU's Nicole Friend (Sr., International Falls, Minn.) finds herself in eighth place after four events with 2,329. She enters day two 326 points out of first place with the long jump, triple jump and 800-meter dash to go.

The highlight of day one for Friend was a first place finish in the 200-meter dash. Her time of 26.15 was her best of 2007 and the fastest time at BSU this outdoor season.

Day two of the NSIC multi events wrap up today with the rest of the 2007 NSIC Outdoor Championships continuing May 11-12 in Moorhead, Minn.

The BSU track and field teams will have one last tune-up to prepare for the conference championships. The squads will travel to Moorhead, Minn. for the Ron Masanz Open.

--bsu--