HOUSTON, Texas – The UND track and field teams put the first day of competition at the Great West Conference Outdoor Championships in the book Thursday with the completion of both the 10,000-meter run and hammer throw finals. The Fighting Sioux women are in fourth place, while the UND men are tied for fourth going into day two of the competition.

Brittany Brenny (Jr., Staples, Minn.) ran her way to a third place finish in the 10,000-meter run with her time of 37:53.86, while senior Mandy Gefroh (Sr., Bismarck, N.D.) earned a seventh place finish in the event (41:18.70). A pair of University of South Dakota State runners in Heather Kuhlmann and Kelsey Maloney wrapped up first and second places, respectively, in the race.

For the Fighting Sioux men, it was Josh LaBlanc (Jr., International Falls, Minn.) leading the way, pulling in a seventh place finish in the event with his time of 33:40.87.

Rusty Kjos (Sr., Kenmare, N.D.) threw his way to a fourth place finish in the hammer with his toss 43.66 meters. Travis Schultz’s (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) fourth throw of 41.92 meters in the event secured him with an eighth place finish, while Spencer Moe (Fr., Aloha, Ore.) grabbed ninth place (41.06). Daniel Sjarpe (Fr., Lanesboro, Minn.) finished 13th in the event (30.72 meters).

On the women’s side, it was Brooke Biederstedt (Fr., Dickinson, N.D.) who took the top UND spot. Biederstedt’s final throw of 29.38 meters placed her 13th in the event while Ashley Gierke (Fr., Valley City, N.D.) finished 14th (21 meters).

The meet, which is being held at the Rice University Track and Field Stadium in Houston, Texas, features seven participating teams: Chicago State, North Dakota, University of Texas-Pan America, Utah Valley, Houston Baptist University, New Jersey Institute of Technology and South Dakota.

The competition will resume tomorrow with the decathlon and heptathlon events in the morning and the javelin throw finals set to begin the afternoon competition at 4 p.m.

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Women – Team Rankings – Through Day One

1. South Dakota                         33

2. Texas-Pan American               23

3. Utah Valley                             14

4. North Dakota                          8

Men – Team Rankings – Through Day One

1. South Dakota                          25

2. Houston Baptist                      19

3. Texas-Pan American               11

4. New Jersey Institute of Tech.   8

4. North Dakota                          8

6. Utah Valley                              7