MOOREHEAD, Minn. -- The Bemidji State University men's and women's track and field teams were in action today competing in the first day of the 2007 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Moorhead, Minn. Day one brought with it three individual championships for the Beavers and the men (73) find themselves in the driver's seat heading into the final day of competition holding a 12-point lead over second place Wayne State College (61) while the women find themselves in fifth place of the team standings.

The 4x800-meter relay team of Shelby Hougen (Jr., Bemidji, Minn.), Kristen Mitteness (So., Morris, Minn.), Jamie LeDuc (Jr., International Falls, Minn.) and Nicole Friend (Sr., International Falls, Minn.) shone brightly in the first day of competition for the BSU women earning All-Conference Honorable mention status with a second place finish of 9:28.34--a new school record in the event.

On the field 2007 NSIC Heptathlon Champion Friend also garnered third place in the javelin, stretching the tape to 125-8 while Angela Miller (So., Grove City, Minn.) cleared 10-10 in the pole vault to claim sixth place.

The highlights of day one on the men's side of things were the field events, specifically the throwing events. The Beavers racked up a total of 35 points in just two throwing events. Joe Remitz(Jr., North Branch, Minn.) led the charge in the hammer throw earning the title with a season-best toss of 168-9. He was joined on the podium by three other BSU student-athletes. Justin Cox (Sr., Menahga, Minn.), Kyle Christianson (Fr., Park Rapids, Minn.) and Brian Weller (Sr., Palmer Alaska) finished third, fifth and sixth in the event respectively.

BSU also fared well in the men's javelin throw. Todd Zeidler (Sr., Plentywood, Mont.) logged his best throw of 2007 and took top honors with a mark of 179-10. Weller took fourth in the event while 2007 NSIC Decathlon Champion Zac Preble (Fr., Coleraine, Minn.) finished in fifth place.

In the high jump, sophomore Jon Clemons (Princeton, Minn.) earned All-NSIC accolades with a height of 6-4--the best jump of his 2007 outdoor campaign--to round out BSU top finishers of day one.

NSIC Outdoor Championship competition wraps up tomorrow with the crowning of a men's and a women's team champion, the selection of individual award winners such as Newcomer of the Year, Coach of the Year and Athlete of the Year and the rest of the individual event and relay finals.