Seven high school standouts have signed national letters of intent to attend Augustana College and compete on the women’s cross country and track and field teams for the Vikings, Augustana head coach
Tracy Hellman announced today.
The group includes
Alyssa Anderson of Chester, S.D.,
Megan Lauseng of Watertown, S.D.,
Bobbi Buyck and
Jillian Tholen of Tracy, Minn.,
Jessica Pierson of St. Clair, Minn.,
Caitlin Polgreen of Elk River, Minn., and
Molly Clark of Fargo, N.D.
Anderson is a cross country and distance runner from Chester Area High School. She is a four-time qualifier for the Class A state cross country championships. A three-time Big East Conference individual champion, she finished third in the state as a sophomore in 2003. She is the school record holder for a 4,000 meter race at 14:59. In track, she holds the school records in the 800 (2:27), 1,600 (5:28) and 3,200 (12:00) meter runs. She placed third at state in the 1,600 meters and fourth in the 3,200 meters.
“Alyssa has had great success at Chester, setting numerous school records, and should continue that success as she takes the next step onto the collegiate level,” Hellman said.
Lauseng is a sprinter at Watertown High School. She has personal best times of 12.5 in the 100 meter dash and 59.9 in the 400 meter dash. At the 2005 Class AA state meet, she finished sixth in the 400. Lauseng also ran on three relay teams that placed. The Arrows’ 4X400 relay team won the state title, while the 4X100 team was second and the 4X200 team was third.
“Megan comes from a Watertown team that has had great sprint success in the past years and will bring that winning mentality along with her relay experience to our sprinters next year,” Hellman said. “She will be a big name in the NCC for the next few years.”
Buyck is a sprinter, hurdler and pole vaulter at Tracy Area High School. She was sixth at the 2005 Class A state meet in the 100-meter hurdles and third in the pole vault. As a sophomore, she was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles and fourth in the pole vault. She is among the state leaders in the 100-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and pole vault this season.
“Bobbi gave us a big jumpstart to our recruiting year,” Hellman said. “Bobbi is one of the most talented and versatile athletes in Minnesota, with great marks in the sprints, hurdles and pole vault. She will make an immediate impact in the NCC in whatever event she does.”
Tholen is Buyck’s teammate at Tracy Area High School. She is a cross country and distance runner for the Panthers. In cross country, she placed seventh at the 2005 Class A state meet. She has personal best times of 14:40 for 4,000 meters and 18:42 for 5,000 meters. She earned all-conference and all-region honors and was a two-time conference champion. On the track, Buyck was named the conference MVP for distance events as a freshman and sophomore. She did not compete in track in 2005 due to an injury.
“Jillian, another standout performer from Tracy High School, is one of the most talented girls we have ever signed at Augie,” Hellman said. “She will be a huge force in both track and cross country in the NCC. She is the type of girl you need to take your program to the next level.”
Pierson is a sprinter at St. Clair High School. She is the school record holder for the indoor 55-meter intermediate hurdles. A four-year letterwinner for the Cyclones, Pierson won the Valley Conference title in the 300-meter hurdles in 2003. A state qualifier, she also runs legs on the 4X200 and 4X400 meter relay teams.
“Jessica is yet another talented sprinter that we brought in this year,” Hellman said. “She will add great depth and potential for huge improvements in the next four years.”
Polgreen is a cross country and distance runner at Elk River High School. She is a three-time All-Northwest Suburban Conference performer in both sports. She helped the Elks’ cross country team to a runner-up finish at the 2005 conference meet after helping the team qualify for state for the first time in school history in 2004. She has personal best times of 15:03 for 4,000 meters and 19:59 for 5,000 meters. In track, she has been selected as the Elks’ distance runner of the year as a sophomore and junior.
“Caitlin is another standout distance runner from a very deep and talented Minnesota section,” Hellman said. “She has run personal bests of 11:30 and 5:15. She will have the potential to step in right away and be an immediate contributor to Augie’s cross country and track teams.”
Clark is a cross country, middle distance and distance performer at Fargo South High School. She is a four-time All-Eastern Dakota Conference performer in cross country and has earned All-EDC honors in track as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Clark helped the Bruins to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 Class A state cross country meet after placing third in 2004. The Bruins also placed second at the 2005 state track meet after winning the Class A state title in 2004.
“Molly has an endless amount of potential anywhere from 800 meters in track up to 6,000 meters in cross country,” Hellman said. “Look for Molly to be a top performer in the NCC for years to come.”
