BURNSVILLE, MINN. -- In a release on Friday, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) revealed its preseason poll and preseason outdoor track and field athletes to watch for the 2019 season. The Augustana women are ranked third in the preseason poll with 164 points, while the men are ranked fourth in the conference with 74 points. 

Olivia Montez Brown has been named the Preseason NSIC Women's Field Athlete of the Year for the outdoor season after taking first in the Pentathlon at both the NSIC Indoor Championships and the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.

The Augustana women are prepared to improve on a third place finish during the indoor season at the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Vikings are led by Montez Brown, who last competed in the outdoor season as an attached athlete in 2017 when she qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the Heptathlon and placed fourth. 

Callie DeWitt is another Augustana athlete to watch as the sophomore ran a personal best time in the preliminaries at the NSIC Indoor Championships. Carly Rahn is the only returning Viking athlete to have made Nationals last season where she qualified in both the 800m and the 1500m, placing 15th and 11th, respectively. 

For the men's side, they are looking to build off of a fifth place finish at the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships for the outdoor season. The Vikings sent one athlete to Nationals during the indoor season in Paul Meloche, who qualified in the 60m Hurdles. Meloche posted his personal best time in the event at the NSIC Indoor Championships and looks to be in form for the outdoor season. 

Josh Barrows looks to make a return to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships this year after qualifying in both the 800m and 400m Hurdles in 2017. Matt Pohlmann is aiming to make a push in the pole vault for the Vikings after posting a personal best in the event at the NSIC Indoor Championships.