SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana track & field squads begin outdoor action on Sunday at the Wartburg Outdoor Select in Waverly, Iowa.
The Vikings head into the outdoor season picked second in both the men's and women's NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Henry Klitzke is the front runner for the men following his Preseason NSIC Athlete of the Year accolade just two weeks ago. Klitzke was also recently awarded the NSIC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year following an undefeated indoor season.
The recently coined NSIC Athletes of the Week, Patty Jo English and Colten Brand, gave a sneak peek into the Vikings outdoor campaign last weekend at the Raleigh Relays. The pair individually raced at the Division I meet with English garnering an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and Brand clocking in a personal best, both in the 1500 meter run.
English currently holds the third best time in all of Division II in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:27.42. During her race at the Raleigh Relays, English was just the third runner among division II finishers in the event.
For the women, English and Kylee Sallee we named the Preseason NSIC Track & Field Athletes to Watch for Augustana. Sallee embarks on her second outdoor season this spring. She scored a personal best 4,534 points in the heptathlon at the NSIC Outdoor Championships last season.
On the men's side, Klitzke and Connor Clayton were named the Preseason NSIC Track & Field Athletes to Watch for the Vikings. Clayton enters his fourth season with the Vikings this spring. Last outdoor season, Clayon recorded a personal best in the 200 meter with a time of 23.16. This past indoor season, he jumped a personal best of 13.98 meters in the triple jump to collect a sixth place overall finish at the NSIC Indoor Championships.
Following this weekend, the Vikings will travel to Iowa and Wisconsin to race at the Jim Duncan Invite hosted by Drake and the Wisconsin-Platteville Invite on April 14. Augustana will begin postseason action at the NSIC Championships May 11-13 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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