MEET INFORMATION
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. –The Augustana cross country teams open the 2014 season by playing host for the fourth annual Augustana Twilight meet at Yankton Trail Park on Friday Sept, 5th. The Vikings welcome 25 collegiate men and women's teams from across the midwest.
The women are scheduled to run three miles with a start time of 8:30 p.m., followed by the men's team running four miles.
"This meet has grown to one of the premier early season cross country meets in the Midwest," Head Coach
Tracy Hellman said. "We have our largest number of teams attending this year, so I am excited to see the atmosphere out on the course Friday night."
Highlighting the men's team is junior
Harald Karbo. Karbo was listed as the 2014 NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released last week.
Senior runners
Adam Braun and
Kaitlyn Yoerg also return for their final seasons as Vikings. Both athletes were tabbed as "Athletes to Watch" in the 2014 season in the coaches' poll as well.
Braun, a native from Shoreview, Minn., finished second at the Twilight in the four-mile race last season with a time of 18:45.5 – the highest finish for any Viking on the four-mile course.
Runa Falch won the women's three-mile race by nearly 20 seconds last season with a time of 16:16.77. Junior
Gabi Swoboda, Augustana's highest returning female runner, placed seventh overall on the women's side last year. Kirsten Brondbo,
Megan Brown, and
Meritxell Delgado rounded out the top five Augustana female scorers with a 9-10-11 finish overall.
"I thought that if we could market it and advertise it well, we could attract a number of teams that would want to experience a "unique" running event," Hellman said. "As a staff, we are trying to put forth a first-class event, so we are working hard to make this year's Twilight the best yet."
Proceeding both collegiate races are the girl's and boy's high school division. The girls are scheduled to run two miles, followed by the boys running three miles.
Also joining the Division II competition will be five Division I schools, the most in the race's four-year history.
The University of Nebraska is back this season after winning the event last season. Creighton also returns to event after a second-place finish last year. The University of South Dakota, The University of Nebraska-Omaha, and South Dakota State will be making their respective debuts at the Twilight this Friday.
The Vikings will follow the Twilight with the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sept. 27.
