VERMILLION, S.D. - The Augustana Vikings opened up the outdoor season this past weekend in Vermillion, S.D. at the USD Early Bird Invite, accruing numerous top-10 finishes and several personal bests in the season opener. 
 
FRIDAY
Kylee Sallee kicked off the outdoor season running the 200-meter dash and placing second with a time of 25.40. Maria Pedroso ran a 1:04.26 in the 400-meter hurdles to claim third place and Ashton Massey finished ninth with a time of 1:05.63.
 
Sydnee Serck claimed a top-10 spot in the women's 800-meter run, clocking a 2:20.10 for 10^th place. In the 1500-meter run, Caroline Sudbeck crossed the finish line in 4:42.60 for seventh place.
 
Taylor Melton kept it going placing fourth in the 5000-meter run with a time of 17:38.12. Ally Sample followed behind in eighth place with a time of 17:48.49.
 
In the javelin throw, Sallee cracked the top five with a mark of 111-10.00 for 10^th.
 
For the men's team, Ryan Hartman took first place in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:47.65. Tyson Ricker was close behind with a fourth-place finish and a personal best with a time of 3:53.07.
 
Soren Weeg ran a 14:58.30 in the 5000-meter run taking the fifth-place spot and getting a new personal best by nearly one minute. 
 
To round out Friday, Bryn Greenwaldt jumped a height of 1.68 meters to secure the fourth-place spot on the podium. Pedroso followed behind in sixth with a clearance of 5-02.25.
 
SATURDAY
The women's 4x100-meter relay team consisting of Jennifer Noutsougan, Nyanus Kur, Sallee, and Lily Juhnke started Saturday off hot with a first-place finish and a time of 47.52. This time put them eighth overall in Augustana history.
 
Juhnke continued to see success with a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.05. Noutsougan and Jayda Becker placed eighth and 11th with times of 12.52 and 12.77, respectively. 
 
In the 100-meter hurdle finals, Pedroso clocked a 14.85 for fifth place.
 
Layton Johnson and Trent DeCook finished ninth and 10^th, both running a time of 10.95 in the 100-meter dash. 
 
Caitlin Ostbye took fourth place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.70. Maia Peterson was right behind her, tying for fifth with a time of 25.76. Ella Heinitz followed in seventh with a time of 25.80.
 
Liam Schick and Jude Jarding took sixth and seventh with times of 22.27 and 22.53, respectively. 
 
Sallee lept her way into fourth place in the long jump with a mark of 18-04.25 as Becker finished sixth with a 17-08.00.
 
Nyamal Changson led a quarter of Vikings to the top 10 of the triple jump, taking second with a 36-11.50. Mackenzie Hemmer (34-05.00) finished sixth, Lexi Olderbak (34-05.00) was seventh and Massey (34-03.50) came ninth.
 
To round off the meet, the women's 4x400-meter relay consisting of Sudbeck, Peterson, Heinitz, and Ostbye took second place with a time of 3:59.48. 
 
The men's 4x100-meter relay of Johnson, DeCook, Luke Berends and Melik Davis ran a 42.32 for fourth place. Finally, the 4x400-meter relay followed suit and clocked a first-place finish. The team consisting of Jarding, Andrew Martens, Tyler Christianson, and Schick ran a 3:30.09.
 
UP NEXT
The Vikings travel back to Vermillion for the USD Challenge on April 12.