DR RESULTS (TH.) | DR RESULTS (FRI.) | DR RESULTS (SAT.) | KIP JANVRIN RESULTS
DES MOINES, Iowa - Augustana completed its trip to Iowa with five top-10 finishes at the Drake Relays and 10 more at the Kip Janvrin Open hosted by Simpson College. Harald Karbo and John Klecker were the top performers of the day by setting Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference-best times in their respective events.
Glen Ellingson and Keegan Carda also highlighted their day by qualifying for the USA Juniors for their 5k performances.
The Vikings have experienced great success at the famous relay meet and head coach
Tracy Hellman was very pleased with his team's performance. “It was a great weekend for our program at the Drake Relays,” Hellman said. “Although we didn't come away with a relay title, we had some outstanding performances and too that next step toward the conference championships.”
Karbo recorded a top-five performance in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Drake Relays and improved his provisional-qualifying time. Karbo was the top Division II finisher with a 9:05.59 time and overtakes Travis Beniak for the NSIC lead in the event. Adam Braun placed 10th in the same event.
The men's distance medley relay squad turned in the highest finish of the day for the Vikings. Henrik Hansson, Skyler Kuil, Khor Kong, and Beniak finished the event in 10:01.21 to take fourth.
The women's 4x800-meter quartet placed eighth at the prestigious Drake Relays by clocking a 9:15.11. The women's sprint medley relay team finished in 10th to finish the Vikings' day on the blue oval.
Klecker notched his first collegiate event win when he took the men's 5,000-meter at the Kip Janvrin Open. Klecker was the first of three Vikings to finish in the top four when he clocked a 14:47.91 time which would stand as the top time in the NSIC.
The freshman was followed by fellow first-years Ellingson in second and Carda in fourth. Nathan Hauge rounded out the Vikings' 5k domination by placing 11th. Ellingson and Carda now have the opportunity to compete at the USA Juniors in Des Moines on June 20.
Mary Hitchcock and Kristi Porter turned an equally-impressive performance in the women's javelin throw. Hitchcock recorded a collegiate-best throw on her fifth toss when her javelin landed at 36.92 meters, good enough for second.
Porter's best heave came on her first attempt when she recorded a 36.60-meter throw. Porter would claim third place with that mark.
Andrea Whitney made her season debut after a successful basketball season by placing sixth in the women's high jump. Whitney cleared 1.57 meters before bowing out at the 1.62-meter height.
Kaylynn Erlandson closed out her busy weekend by notching a pair of top-15 finishes in field events. Erlandson finished sixth in the women's triple jump with a best mark of 11.20 meters. The dynamic freshman also placed 13th in the women's long jump.
Also in the long jump, Calliann Brunswig placed 10th with a best leap of 4.99 meters. Carina Hofmeister earned her best outdoor finish of the season, taking seventh in the women's 100-meter dash (12.76 seconds).
Zach Jones was the final top-10 finisher for the Vikings when he clocked a 56.90-second time in the men's 400-meter hurdles.
The Vikings return to Sioux Falls to host the Howard Wood Relays on May 3 and 4. Henrik Holmberg begins his decathlon competition at the NSIC Multi-Event Championships in Aberdeen, S.D. on Sunday April 28 and will conclude on Monday April 29.
