USTFCCCA ALL-REGION
NEW ORLEANS - Augustana's women's and men's outdoor track and field teams had eight student-athletes receive United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Central Region honors. Kyle Blakeslee, Kristin Brondbo, Katie Guse, Leah Hansen and Andrea Whitney were the women's selections, while Tom Karbo, Aduo Omot and Dylan Buehler made the men's team.
The top-five athletes with the top marks from each region in individual events and each member of a relay ranked in the region's top three earned the all-region distinction for the 2012 outdoor season.
Buehler was named to the team for the first time. Blakeslee, Brondbo, Guse, Hansen, Whitney, Karbo and Omot are repeat selections.
A junior from Lewistown, Mont., Buehler won the javelin at the 2012 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference meet with a throw of 185 feet, 8 inches.
Blakeslee, a junior from Cannon Falls, Minn., claimed the first women's individual title for Augustana at the 2012 Drake Relays, winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a school and South Dakota collegiate record 10 minutes 18.71 seconds. She successfully defended her NSIC steeplechase title this year in 10:39.12, which a conference record. Blakeslee is currently ranked fourth nationally in the steeplechase.
Her performance in the 1,500-meter run earned Brondbo, a junior from Steinkjer, Norway, a place on the all-region team. She set a school record with a time of 4:26.44 at the Minnesota State Twilight meet and is ranked No. 10 nationally.
Guse,a sophomore from Waseca, Minn., cleared 5 feet, 5.75 inches to win the 2012 NSIC high jump crown. She has a personal best of 5 feet, 6 inches this season.
Hansen was selected to the all-region team for her time of 35:08.21 in the 10,000-meter run, which is the 14th fastest time in the nation.
Whitney, a sophomore from Sartell, Minn., placed second in the high jump at the NSIC competition, clearing 5 feet, 3.25 inches. She has a personal best of 5 feet, 6 inches this season.
A senior from Stord, Norway, Karbo has the second-fastest time in the country in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 8:44.37. He was named the 2012 NSIC Men's Track Athlete of the Year. Earlier this spring he shattered the school record for 5,000 meters with a time of 14:08.27, which is currently the 10th fastest nationally.
Omot has the fastest time in the country for the 800-meter run at 1:48.51. A junior from Worthington, Minn., Omot won his first NSIC outdoor title this year with a time of 1:52.86.
The Vikings will travel to Pueblo, Colo., May 24-26 for the NCAA Division II Championships.
