Dragons Finish Runner-Up at NSIC Championships; Gregoire, Peraza Advance to NCAA Indoor Championships
Minnesota State Moorhead track & field delivered a strong performance at the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships, finishing second in the men’s team standings while capturing four conference titles and producing 10 All-NSIC performances. The Dragon women placed 11th overall in the team standings.
The Dragons were led by standout performances from redshirt junior Jared Gregoire, who earned meet high-point performer honors with 22.5 points, and by a distance squad that captured multiple conference titles.
Distance Leads the Way
Moorhead’s distance runners set the tone early in the championships.
The Dragons opened the meet with a conference title in the men’s distance medley relay, as the quartet of Jadon Boots, Frosty Wisnewski, Colin O’Farrell and Jared Gregoire crossed the line in 10:08.19.
Gregoire followed that performance with an exceptional second day, capturing NSIC championships in both the mile and 800 meters. The Buffalo, Minn., native won the mile in 4:16.70 before returning later in the day to claim the 800-meter title in 1:53.20.
O’Farrell added another All-NSIC performance in the 800 meters, placing third in 1:54.37.
The Dragons added yet another title in the men’s 1000 meters, where Boots ran 2:29.46 to secure the championship while Ivar Martell placed fourth in 2:31.97.
In the longer distances, Chase Hoechst placed fourth in the 5000 meters in 14:51.09 and later finished fifth in the 3000 meters with a personal-best 8:32.38, which ranks sixth all-time in program history. Lander Lahtinen added an eighth-place finish in the 5000 meters and later placed 10th in the 3000.
Field Event Champions and All-Conference Performances
The Dragons also found success across the field events.
Jasiah Hambira captured the NSIC title in the men’s high jump, clearing 6-09.5 (2.07m). Teammate Jaiden Peraza finished fourth in the same event with a clearance of 6-08.25 (2.04m) while also earning All-NSIC honors in the long jump with a personal-best leap of 23-11.75 (7.31m). The mark ranks fifth in program history and is an NCAA provisional performance.
In the men’s triple jump, Rollie Hanna added another All-NSIC performance for Moorhead, finishing third with a leap of 48-03.5 (14.72m). Allysah Larson highlighted the women’s jumps, finishing seventh in the long jump with a personal best 18-07 (5.66m), the third-best mark in school history.
Throws and Multis Contribute Valuable Points
The Dragons also saw strong performances in the throws and combined events.
Kiley Kranz earned All-NSIC honors in the women’s shot put with a runner-up finish and a personal-best throw of 45-00.5 (13.73m). The mark is an NCAA provisional qualifier and the second-best indoor mark in program history.
On the men’s side, Justin Jacobson added another All-NSIC performance in the shot put with a throw of 55-07.5 (16.95m) after earlier placing eighth in the weight throw.
In the men’s heptathlon, Hunter Miller produced a record-setting performance. The junior finished third with 5,101 points, setting a new school record while earning All-NSIC honors. Miller posted multiple personal bests throughout the competition and sat among the leaders throughout the two-day event.
Sprint Performances and Relays
The Dragons also earned strong performances in the sprint events.
Brandon Pemberton earned All-NSIC honors in the men’s 60 meters with a time of 6.90, while teammate Isaiah Tandoh placed seventh in 6.96. Pemberton later placed sixth in the 200-meter finals in 22.10.
In relay competition, Moorhead’s men’s 4×400-meter team of Wisnewski, Dylan Harris, O’Farrell and Jasiah Hambira finished fifth in 3:22.31. The women’s 4×400-meter squad of Christalea Wagner, Liv Birkeland, Brooke Bollman and Cipriana Jones placed sixth in 4:00.45.
Dragons Advance to NCAA Indoor Championships
Following the conference championships, Moorhead will be represented by two athletes at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for March 13–14 in Virginia Beach, Va.
Gregoire qualified for the men’s mile behind his school-record time of 4:00.37, which currently ranks 10th in NCAA Division II this season.
Peraza will compete in the men’s high jump, earning his second consecutive NCAA Indoor Championship appearance with a personal-best clearance of 7-00.25 (2.14m), the 11th-best mark in the nation this season.
The mile preliminaries are scheduled for March 13, while the high jump finals will take place March 14.