FINAL RESULTS
MANKATO, Minn. - Augustana's Runa Falch snapped her own school record, Henrik Hansson provisionally qualified for nationals and 10 Vikings posted first-place finishes Saturday at the Ted Nelson Classic, hosted by Minnesota State.
“Both teams are making great strides as the season progresses,” head coach
Tracy Hellman said. “We feel we are in a great spot as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships loom near. It will be exciting to see our kids improve as we enter championship season.”
Falch topped her previous school record set last season in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:42.01 to win the event.
Hansson had the top time in the men's one mile (4:13.35), provisionally qualifying for the national meet.
Kyle Blakeslee (2:56.67) and Travis Beniak (2:33.96) were first in the women's and men's 1,000-meter run, respectively. Blakeslee now leads the conference in the event, setting a new personal record.
Adam Braun ran the men's 3,000-meter run and took first (8:46.82), while Anne Parsley finished first in the 400-meter dash (59.33).
Augustana also had Annie Pfeifle (one mile, 5:15.53), LeAnn Severson (600-meter, 1:39.73) and Katie Guse (high jump, 5 feet, 5.75 inches) capture first-place for the Vikings.
In the long jump, Colleen Everson placed first (17 feet, 4.25 inches), while Meagan Grandgenett was fourth (16 feet, 5.00 inches). Kirsten Noska also competed in the event and finished seventh (16 feet, 3.75 inches).
Pfeifle also ran the 3,000-meter run and finished thrid (10:20.68), while Nathan Hauge (9:01.21) and Alex Johnson (9:02.23) ran the men's 3,000 and took third and fourth, respectively.
Kayla Mescher, Grandgenett and Katie Tonner set a strong presence for the Vikings in the 60-meter hurdles. Mescher took third (9.27), while Grandgenett finished sixth (9.47) and Tonnner placed eighth (9.73).
In the triple jump, Noska finished runner up (35 feet, 8.50 inches) and Brooke Kinney placed sixth (33 feet, 6.50 inches).
Everson sprinted a time of 26.23 in the 200-meter dash and Parsley clocked in at 26.32 to take third and fourth, respectively. Laura Popanz took eighth (27.56).
In the men's long jump, Phil Rien leaped 21 feet for third place. Jacob Pohlmann (20 feet, 5.75) and Casey Digs (20 feet, 0.50 inches) earned fourth- and sixth-place finishes in the event.
Rien also placed sixth in the high jump (5 feet, 10.75 inches).
Megan Erspamer turned in a time of 2:28.34 in the 800-meter run for second place and Molly Kokesh finished third in the 1,000-meter run (3:01.89).
Skyler Kuil was runner up in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.660 and Khor Kong placed third (50.79). Brett Anderson (51.67) and Jeremy Botzet (52.95) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Karmen Nyberg finished third in the women's 400-meter dash (1:00.19).
Augustana's women's 4X400-meter relay team took third (4:11.13), while the men's relay came in fourth (3:31.42).
Alyssa Schmidt finished the 600-meter in 1:49.02 for fourth and running the 60-meter dash were Popanz (8.12) and Kirsten Nyberg (8.33) for fourth and fifth.
Travis Beniak ran the one mile and placed second (4:16.68), while Jordan Slusser (4:22.36) and Paul Yak (4:27.42) were fifth and sixth, respcetively.
200-meter dash runners Taylor Olson (23:04) and Grant Gebhardt (23.32) took fifth- and eighth-place, respectively.
In the weight throw, CJ Hamm (43 feet, 9.75 inches) and Dylan Buehler (41 feet, 3.00 inches) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Taking fourth and fifth in the shot put were Aaron Jung (50 feet, 3.25 inches) and Hamm (46 feet, 11.00 inches), respectively.
High jumpers Mescher and Karissa Pepin both leaped 4 feet, 11.75 inches. Mescher tied for sixth and Pepin charted an eighth-place finish.
Clint Freiheit recored a time of 2:03.41 in the 800-meter run to place fifth and Morten Tveit was sixth (2:08.31).
Rounding out the Vikings' top finishes were Kaitlyn Yoerg and Megan Brown in the one mile. Yoerg placed fifth (5:22.12) and Brown (5:25.43) was sixth.
Augustana continues action next weekend at the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa.
