MANKATO, Minn. - Senior Anthony Huber and freshman Callie DeWitt started 2018 where they left off in 2017. Huber and DeWitt led the Augustana track and field team with personal best performances in Mankato, Minn. at the Mankato Alumni Open of Friday.

Huber upped his provisional weight throw mark in Mankato with a toss of 17.89-meters, good for second place, and moved into 23rd nationally and third in the NSIC in the event. Huber also took second in the shot put with a season's best mark of 15.79-meters.

DeWitt broke the school record in the 60-meters in her first collegiate race back in December and in her second meet she broke that record again. In a second place finish in the event on Friday, DeWitt raced to a time of 7.72. DeWitt also finished in sixth in the long jump with a mark of 5.13-meters.

"As a team, we are working through a very heavy load in the weight room and on the track right now so we are experiencing some soreness and tightness," coach Greg Binstock said of his team. "With that said, our Vikings had a really strong meet for this time of year. In the few weeks when our training load decreases, our expectations will rise. That said, congrats to our event champions, our school record breaker and to the many who had season and personal bests tonight!"

In other field events, Kendra Ludeman took first in the high jump with a personal best leap of 1.62-meters. In the men's high jump, Eli Anderson took second with a jump of 1.84-meters. Lily Noble also finished in fifth place in the pole vault with a mark of 2.92-meters.

In the men's 60-meter hurdles, Paul Meloche took first with a time of 8.25 and Dylon Van't Hof finished in fourth with a time of 8.38. In the women's race, Valerie Gildemaster led a trio of top-seven finishers with a second place finish with a time of 8.90. Selin Dikmen took sixth and Ellie Rew placed in seventh.

In mid-distance races, a quad of Vikings finished in the top-six in the 800-meters. Josh Barrows and Zach Tuschen led the way finishing 1-2 and Nick Reiffenberger and Beau Ireland took fifth and sixth, respectively, with each setting personal records. In the women's 300-meters, Ashley Solano, Sarah Westerman and Mariah Beckius went 3-4-5. In the men's 300-meters, Alex Woods took sixth and Chris Sharpe finished in seventh.

In the men's 4x400-meter relay, the team of Barrows, Ryan Stiles, Sharpe and Blake Savey took second with a time of 3:30.49.

Next weekend the Vikings travel to Brookings, S.D. for the second time this season for the Jim Emmerich Invite.

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