While it wasn’t his best throw, it still produced a meaningful result.

Northern State standout Tanner Berg won the hammer throw at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference track and field meet Friday at the Brownell Activities Complex.

His winning attempt was shorter than what he had earlier this season at the Dewey Donat Classic in Aberdeen, but capturing the conference title more than made up for it.

“Less than ideal conditions, windy, I cut my finger here on Wednesday, so I had to find a different way to throw,” Berg said following his victory. “First conference championship in the hammer. I think four years too late, but, oh well, I got it done.”

When asked about the key to throwing the hammer, Berg used an interesting auto racing analogy.

“You just have to relax, turn left and go fast,” he said. “It’s kind of like NASCAR.”

Berg, one of the premier throwers in the country, said he doesn’t think about pressure or people’s expectations when he steps into the ring to compete.

“I just show up and worry about myself. If you’re thinking about other people, you’re not ready to compete,” Berg said. “You have to go in there and throw your best every time regardless of who’s throwing what.”

Berg, who also finished third in the shot put, led three Wolves who placed in the hammer throw. McCaden Anderson took fourth and Nick Olson was sixth.

“We had a lot of great things happen today,” said NSU coach Lynne Dingman. “Our hammer throwers took home field advantage and went 1-4-6 on the men’s side, and 6th on the women’s side.”

Shanice Burrell got off to a solid start by winning her prelim race in the 100-meter hurdles.

While the runners had a strong wind at their backs, Burrell said that was not necessarily a positive thing.

“For hurdles you don’t want too much wind, because it’s going to push you into the hurdles. That was one of my concerns going in,” Burrell said. “I was scared that if the wind was too much it was going to push me and then I would be off my steps. When that happens sometimes you have to shorten your strides, but luckily it didn’t affect me too much. I felt myself going close to the hurdles, but I was able to maintain my form, so that was good.”

Burrell, who has been hurdling since the age of 12, came to Northern from Jamaica.

“I was recruited so I took the opportunity to further my education and to continue track,” she said, “so it was a win-win.”

Burrell has the third best time in the hurdles heading into today’s finals, but knows she will need a big effort to win the event.

“It’s going to be hard (Saturday) to win, because the number one (hurdler) in D-II is actually here, so it’s going to be challenging,” Burrell said. “But my aim (Saturday) is to actually PR and execute my best race. If it comes out as a win, then I’ll be happy.”

Minnesota State leads the women’s team points with Northern State in eighth. Wayne State leads Minnesota State Moorhead by a half of a point in the men’s division. The Wolves are in fifth.

“We battled the wind again today, but honestly we practice in this daily – so the kids were well prepared today,” Dingman said. “We are positioned well for (Saturday).”

The meet resumes at 11 this morning.

Berg will be participating in the discus today, marking the final time he will compete in Aberdeen as a member of the Wolves.

When asked what he will remember most about his days with Northern, the All-American senior responded, “The love the community has for us. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I go out in public, I go anywhere, everybody knows who I am, what I’ve done,” he said. “They’ve read about it in the paper and say congratulations. It’s pretty cool that a lot of people know about me.”

To see complete meet results, click on the following link:

https://nsuwolves.com/documents/2022/5/13/NSIC_Outdoor_Championships_2022_Day_1_Results.pdf