SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Austin Miller joined the Augustana Track & Field team as a walk-on. He didn't run for the Cross Country team until his sophomore year. Now, after becoming the latest NSIC Individual Champion, he has his first cross country win under his belt. 

Miller broke the course record with a time of 24:48.65 en route to Augustana, well, routing the rest of the conference. The Vikings placed first through sixth, along with seven of the top nine runners in the meet. By scoring a perfect score, 15 points, Augustana joined just one other NSIC Champion to achieve the rare feat, the 1999 Minnesota Duluth men's squad.

"Years of work went into this win," Miller said. "[I] had to basically create a new running identity for myself...It took me a long time, basically four years, to get my body and mind in the place it needed to be in to actually win a race." 

Don't let this fool you from Miller's running ability. He is a two-time All-American in the indoor 800m and an All-American in the mile. Plus, he won the NSIC individuals for both of those events. 

"Every year, he's getting better," Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Tracy Hellman said. "We've been patient with him, and we haven't been pushing him too hard and let him develop as a runner because he doesn't have a lot of background in running." 

The NSIC championships were only Miller's second race of the year. He was unable to compete in the Augustana Twilight due to sickness, and he ran a 25:28.6 at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Arkansas. Even with the short regular season, Miller will be prepared to go come Regional time. 

"As a more tenured runner on the team, I've had the chance to compete at quite a few NCAA Championship meets," Miller said. "There is definitely a different atmosphere at those than at a conference meet, for example.

"There is a lot more on the line, and you have to make sure that you perform up to standards. The added element of pressure to qualify for the national championship is something that some runners struggle in, and others flourish in. For me, I like the challenge of these meets."

The meets will only get harder for the Vikings as they head to Joplin, Missouri, this weekend for the NCAA Central Regional. The No.4 ranked men and the No. 3 ranked women will go up against the best of the NSIC, MIAA and GAC. Heading into the meet, both the men's and women's teams hold a No. 1 Region Ranking from the USTFCCCA.

"The MIAA has some really good runners and some really good teams," Hellman said. "From a team standpoint, we will get a better challenge at the Regional." 

The women also won the NSIC championship last weekend for the first time since 2014 and will be looking to make their way back to the NCAA championships. 

Patty Jo English led the way for the Vikings, earning a runner-up finish at 21:41. Megan Means was close behind, placing third in 21:42.10. Nicolette Schmidt placed fourth in the field, running down the chute in a time of 21:50. 

Rebekah Rairdon and Rachel Rairdon claimed the fifth and sixth places, running almost identical times with 22:01.10 and 22:01.20, respectively. 

The goal for Hellman's squads this weekend is to qualify for Nationals. The top three teams in the region will head down to Tampa, Florida, for the final meet of the year on Nov. 20.

The women's 6,000m will start at 10 a.m. and the men's 10,000m will be held at 11:15 a.m.

He understands that the odds of sweeping the region are not high, but winning the region is still within reach. 

"It feels awesome," Miller said. "These are the meets that you really want to perform at. Of course, to win at any meet is special, but to do it at my last NSIC championship is so cool. That is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."

--GoAugie.com--