GREELEY, Colo. --- The South Dakota School of Mines men's and women's track teams were racking at the University of Northern Colorado Spring Invitational Saturday in Greeley, Colorado, where the Hardrockers were able to improve on some marks before the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships this weekend in Rapid City, South Dakota.

The Hardrockers bettered 15 personal-best records, notched 23 Top 5 finishes, broke one school record and had one performance that provisionally qualify for the NCAA Div. II Outdoor Championships.

Sophomore Andrew Ferris earned a provisional qualification during the men's 800-meter run and broke his own SD Mines school record in the process after winning the event in a time of 1 minute 52.47 seconds. He is now ranked fifth on the RMAC performance list heading into the RMAC Championships.

Westley Siebdrath took top honors in the men's hammer throw and set a new PR after a toss of 172-feet-4-inches. Saturday's mark improved the junior to the Top 5 in the RMAC standings. Siebdrath also earned a PR in the shot put and took third place after a throw of 46-10.75. He is currently 13^th in the RMAC rankings for that event.

Tana Dahlberg improved on three of her PR's, earning her best-ever marks during the discus, hammer throw and javelin events. The sophomore won the discus after a throw of 125-5; and then took third in both the javelin (95-10) and the hammer throw (129-6).

Other Hardrocker highlights included:  Adeline Straatmeyer won the women's 1,500 run in a time of 4:51.63 and Erica Westerman finished runner-up after clocking a 4:53.57; Conner Christenson took second in the men's high jump and set a new PR (6-1.25); Warren Minerich took second in the men's hammer throw (142-8) and then earned second in the discus (124-10); the men's 4x400 team, made up of Austin Hammer, Jacob Huber, Kevin Ptak and Isaac Orozco earned second with a mark of 3:23.87;  Darren Nissen secured third place in the men's long jump (21-6); Nicholas Shipe took third in the men's 5,000 run (16:57.07) and Max Oesterling was back one spot in fourth (17:42.95); Ben Colvin was fourth in the men's 1,500 (4:15.84) and Brock Rugg was a spot back in fifth (4:25.60); Carter Kasuske finished fourth in the triple jump (42-9) and then grabbed fifth in the javelin (138-1); and Hammer was fourth in the javelin (142-0).