NDSU Men's Track & Field Opens New Ellig Facility with Bison Classic

The North Dakota State men's track & field team will open the brand new Shelly Ellig Indoor Track & Field Facility this weekend with the Bison Classic.

The heptathlon is scheduled to begin at 3:45 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 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.

NDSU has been voted the preseason favorite to capture The Summit League indoor track & field title in a vote of the league's head coaches. The Bison are in search of their fifth indoor title in six seasons.

Athletes to Watch:

North Dakota State

Casey Orgon - Weight throw: Currently No. 5 in the nation ... Summit League leader ... NDSU school record holder ... personal best mark of 63-06.00 (19.35m) ... defending Summit League champion in the weight throw.

Matt Tetzlaff - 60m hurdles: No. 5 all-time at NDSU in the 60m hurdles ... personal best of 7.95 seconds ... owned the fastest 60m hurdles time in The Summit League in 2012 ... NDSU school record holder in the 110m hurdles (13.99).

Donte Smart - Sprints: Owned the fastest 60m dash time in The Summit League in 2012 at 6.81 seconds ... third-fastest in The Summit League in the 200m dash in 2012 ... tied for No. 7 all-time at NDSU in the 60m dash.

Manitoba

Arthur Buchanan - High Jump/Long Jump/Pole Vault/60m Hurdles: 2012 Canada West Conference Indoor Championships runner-up in the high jump ... fifth at the 2012 Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships in the high jump.

Dylan Ostberg - 400m: Member of the 2012 bronze medal 4x400m relay team at the Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships.

Alhaji Mansaray - High Jump: 2012 Canadian Junior Outdoor high jump champion ... has recently qualified for the 2013 Canadian Interuniversity Indoor Championships ... personal best of 6-09.75 (2.08m).

South Dakota State

Michael Krsnak - Distance: Third-fastest 3,000m time in The Summit League in 2012 ... fourth-fastest in The Summit League in the mile in 2012 ... third place in the 3,000m at the 2012 Summit League Indoor Championships.

Jared Foote - 400m: Fourth-fastest 400m time in The Summit League in 2012 at 48.72 ... fifth place in the 400m at the Summit League Indoor Championships last season.