MANKATO, Minn. – The Augustana College track and field team traveled to Mankato, Minn. to compete in the Ted Nelson Classic with four Vikings provisionally qualifying and six taking home top marks on Saturday.

"The coaching staff was very pleased with how the meet went today," head coach Tracy Hellman said. "As we enter February we are starting to hit our peak and sharpen up towards the conference championships. If we can stay healthy we have an opportunity to do some exciting things come championship time."

The first track event was the distance medley relay and Augustana lived up to the reputation they've built in the event with both the men and women taking home top marks. The men's squad of Paul Yak, Chris Sharpe, Zach Tuschen, and Harald Karbo provisionally qualified with a time of 10:02.75, which ranks seventh in the nation. On the women's side, the group of Emma Anderson, Anne Parsley, Kayla Mescher, and Leah Seivert provisionally qualifying with a time of 11:57.44, which ranks fifth.

"Both distance medley relay teams provisionally qualified with converted times with the women ranked fifth nationally and men ranked seventh," Hellman said.

Mescher provisionally qualified with a time of 2:15.27 in the women's 800-meter run for a first-place finish, which ranks 10th in the nation. Carina Hofmeister also took first in the women's 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 58.29. Emma Schmidt dominated the 600-meter run, taking first place with a time of 1:38.95.

"In the women's highlights, Mescher [Kayla] provisionally qualified and won the 800-meter run in a season-best time," Hellman said. "Hofmeister [Carina] ranks third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in the 400-meter dash, taking first. Schmidt [Emma] had a personal-best time and took the top-mark in the 600-meter run."

Junior Ryan Heuer took a second place finish in the men's 60-meter hurdles provisionally qualifying with a time of 8.21. In the women's 60-meter hurdles, Calliann Brunswig took third (9.10), followed by Valerie Moos placing fifth (9.34).

"In the men's highlights, Heuer [Ryan] set a new personal-best and provisionally qualified in the 60-meter hurdles," Hellman said.

In the women's high jump, Kelsey Kaufmann took first place with a clearance of 1.65m (5 feet, 5 inches). The women's horizontal jumps tandem of Brunswig and Irene Almarcha both placed in the top-five in the women's long jump. Brunswig took fourth with a mark of 5.29m (17 feet, 4.25 inches), followed by Almarcha placing fifth with a clearance of 5.12m (16 feet, 9.75 inches).

Freshman Avery Selberg took first in the women's 1000-meter run with a time of 2:59.84. Emma Anderson (3:01.25) and Kaitlyn Yoerg (3:03.29) placing second and third, respectively.

"Selberg [Avery] ranks first in the conference with a personal-best time and Anderson [Emma] ranks second in the NSIC," Hellman said.

Kaylynn Erlandson competed in the women's triple jump with a clearance of 11.25m (36 feet, 11 inches) for a second-place finish.

On the men's side, CJ Ham finished with a heave of (60 feet, 4 inches) in the weighted throw, good for a third-place finish. Ham also competed in the shot put placing sixth with a heave of 14.66m (48 feet, 1.25 inches).

Three Vikings took the top-three spots in the men's 1000-meter run. Starting with Austin Krohnke who clocked a time of 2:38.92 for the top-mark in the race. Jake Connealy placed second with a time of 2:41.51, and Clint Freiheit finishing third with a time of 2:44.85.

Zach Jones finished as the top Viking in the men's 600-meter run clocking a time of 1:26.59 for a third-place finish. Following closely behind, John Isaacson (1:28.49) and Thomas Sittig (1:29.58) placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

In the men's high jump, Mason Ford finished second with a clearance of 1.95m (6 feet, 8.75 inches). Justin Greenway placed second in the men's 60-meter dash with a time of 6.95. The men's 4x400 meter relay finished third with a time of 3:24.77.

"The men's 4x400 marked a season-best moving them up to fourth in the conference," Hellman said.

In the men's mile, Yak took fourth with a time of 4:20.41, followed by Khor Kong placing ninth in the 400-meter dash with a finish of 51.56. In the 3000-meter run, Adam Braun took second with a time of 8:37.50, while Glen Ellingson tabbed fourth with a time of 8:48.99.

The Vikings will continue competition next Friday and Saturday Feb. 13-14 traveling to Brookings, S.D. for the SDSU Open.