Bison Men Take Third at Jack Johnson Classic

MINNEAPOLIS - North Dakota State men's track & field seniors Matt Tetzlaff, Travis Fitzke and Casey Orgon headlined the Bison efforts at Minnesota's Jack Johnson Classic on Saturday. The Bison finished in third place in the team standings behind Minnesota and South Dakota.

Minnesota totaled 236.5 points to win the team title, and South Dakota scored 105 points for runner-up honors. NDSU finished with 84.5 points for third.

Tetzlaff remained unbeaten in the 60m hurdles this season, running 8.11 seconds for his third consecutive win in the event.

Fitzke, the NDSU school record holder in the mile, recorded an impressive early-season time of 4:09.78 in the mile for third place on Saturday.

Orgon led a trio of Bison placewinners in the weight throw with a toss of 60-01.75 (18.33m) for fifth place. Junior Trevor Berner and senior Blake Elsen placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the weight throw. Elsen was only one centimeter shy of his personal-best in the event.

Moses Heppner and Alec Espeland finished 2-3 in the 800m in 1:54.23 and 1:54.89, respectively.

Junior Andy Lillejord was fourth overall and the third collegiate finisher in the pole vault with his clearance of 15-07.00 (4.75m).

Sophomores Parker McKittrick and Jerome Begin each recorded personal-best times and fourth-place finishes on Saturday. McKittrick ran 8.31 seconds for a fourth-place finish in the 60m hurdles, while Begin was fourth in the 400m in 49.55.

Freshman Colin Paarmann took sixth in the triple jump with a mark of 43-05.25 (13.24m). Lucas DeGree posted a personal-best time of 8:53.87 in the 3,000m.

NDSU will compete at the South Dakota Invitational in Vermillion, S.D., and the Bill Bergan Invitational in Ames, Iowa, on Jan. 26.