In their last week before the conference meet, the South Dakota State University men’s and women’s track and field teams split their teams to travel to the Nebraska Tune-up and the University of South Dakota Twilight meets last Friday.

A week after entering the SDSU top 10 in three events, freshmen Cal Lawton and Ayube Kassim cracked the 600-meter run top-10 at the Nebraska Tune-Up hosted by the University of Nebraska Lincoln at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track.

Lawton ran the third-fastest time (1:21.19) while Kassim clocked the sixth-fastest time (1:21.88) in school history. Last weekend at the SDSU Indoor Invitational, the duo was a part of a record-setting 4×800 relay team and also entered the top-10 in the 800-meter run and 4×400 relay.

Adam Belhaj improved his 200-meter dash personal record to 22.28. He remains slotted for sixth in school history.

With a time of 3:19.86, the 4×400 relay team of Justin Carson, Austin Johnsen, Dru Kenny and Belhaj posted the 10th-fastest time in SDSU history.

Andrew Thies scored a top-five finish in the 3,000-meter run, clocking in at 8:43.69 to place fourth in the meet.

At the USD Twilight in Vermillion, S.D., Bo Arnold timed in at 7.04 in the final of the 60-meter dash to tie Interim Assistant Coach Luke Leischner for fifth in school history. With a time of 6.99 in that same final, LeAndre Kennedy was six hundredths of a second away from tying his personal record, the second-best time in school history.

Colton Bender moved to eighth in school history in the weight throw with a distance of 54-4.75 feet.

Marissia Hagedorn entered SDSU’s top-five in the 60-meter hurdles while Ashley Odegaard and Carly Carper captured victories at the USD Twilight hosted by the University of South Dakota at the DakotaDome.

With a time of 8.92 in the final of the 60-meter hurdles, Hagedorn moved to fifth in school history. Hagedorn, whose previous personal record was 9.00, is now one of only seven Jackrabbits to post a time faster than 9.00.

Odegaard matched her personal record in the 200-meter dash to score her first individual title of the season. With a time of 25.17, she ranks sixth in school history in this event. She also improved her 60-meter dash personal record to 7.71, moving her into fourth in school history. 

Carper scored her fifth win of the season in the 60-meter dash, clocking in at 7.55.

At the Nebraska Tune-Up in Lincoln, Neb., Kirsten Anderson scored her first win of the season at 18:13.46 to take the 5,000-meter run title.

Samantha Anderson and Whitlee Larson placed in the top-10 in their respective events. Anderson took seventh in the mile run with a time of 5:03.50, while Larson claimed ninth in the 800-meter run with a personal-record time of 2:17.78.

Both the men’s and women’s teams travel to Fargo next weekend to compete in the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships, where they look to improve their third and fourth place respective finishes from last year.