Bison Women Introduce New Home at Bison Classic This Weekend

The five-time defending Summit League champion North Dakota State women's track & field team will open the brand new Shelly Ellig Indoor Track & Field Facility this weekend with the Bison Classic.

The pentathlon is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Saturday action opens with the weight throw at 10 a.m. and the long jump at 11 a.m., with running events set to begin at noon.

Competing teams are expected to include Minnesota, South Dakota State, the University of Manitoba and NDSU. Team scores will be kept for the meet, with the top six placewinners in each event contributing to the team totals in a 10-8-6-4-2-1 scoring format.

The Bison Classic will feature a couple special twists, including 40-yard dash in place of the 60-meter dash and a "Little Bison Thundar Dash" for kids of all ages.

NDSU has been voted the preseason favorite to capture its sixth consecutive Summit League indoor team title in a vote of the league's head coaches.

Athletes to Watch:

North Dakota State

Antoinette Goodman - Sprints/Long jump: Two-time defending Summit League champion in the 200m dash ... defending Summit League champion in the long jump ... currently ranked No. 43 in the nation in the long jump ... No. 2 all-time at NDSU in the indoor 200m with a personal best of 24.32 seconds ... No. 4 all-time at NDSU in the 60m dash with a personal best of 7.67 seconds.

Lexy Boschee - High jump: Cleared 5-08.00 (1.73m) in her first collegiate competition to win the Dakota Duals on Dec. 7 ... currently tied for 12th in the nation in the high jump ... four-time Montana Class AA state champion in the high jump.

Katie Johnson - Shot put: No. 4 all-time at NDSU in the indoor shot put, throwing 47-10.50 at the Dakota Duals on Dec. 7 ... currently No. 29 in the nation in the shot put.

Minnesota

Todea-Kay Willis - Long jump/Sprints: 2012 Jamaica Olympic Trials long jump champion with a jump of 20-10 ... second-team All-American in the 4x100m relay ... 2012 Big Ten runner-up ... school record holder in the long jump at 21-01.50 (6.44m) ... has run 11.98 in the 100m dash and 7.68 in the 60m dash.

Alena Brooks - 400m/800m: Has competed on the international level for Trinidad and Tobago ... owns personal bests of 53.55 and 2:08.18 in the outdoor 400m and 800m, respectively ... NCAA West Preliminary Rounds qualifier in the 400m ... third place in the 400m at the 2012 Big Ten Indoor Championships.

Kylie Peterson - 40-yard dash: One of the top short sprinters in the nation ... owns personal bests of 7.45 seconds in the 60m dash and 11.47 seconds in the 100m dash ... 2010 Big Ten runner-up in the 100m ... second team All-American in the 4x100m relay.

Manitoba

Sade Ogungbemi - 40-yard dash/200m: Third at the 2012 Canada West Conference Indoor Championships in the 60m dash ... eighth at the 2012 Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships in the 60m ... member of the 2012 bronze medal 4x200m team at the Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships.

Melissa Richards - Pole vault/Triple jump: Sixth at the 2012 Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships in the pole vault.

Leah Harpelle - 40-yard dash/200m: Member of the 2012 bronze medal 4x200m team at the Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships.

South Dakota State

Mary Wirth - High jump: Owned the top high jump mark in The Summit League in 2012, clearing 5-09.75 (1.77m) ... 2012 Summit League Champion in the indoor high jump.

Brooke Garner - Weight throw: SDSU school record holder in the weight throw at 61-03.50 (18.68m) ... Summit League champion in the weight throw in 2012.