USF, Augustana Impress On Day 1 Of NSIC Championships

The University of Sioux Falls and Augustana impressed on the first day of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Bemidji, Minn.

The Cougars are in second place and the Vikings third behind Minnesota State in the men's team competition.  On the women's side, Augustana is in second place behind Minnesota-Duluth.  USF is tied for seventh with St. Cloud State.

The Cougar men dominated the pole vault competition, taking five of the top seven places.  Jagger Gran won the conference title with an NCAA provisional qualifying vault of 16-feet 6.75-inches.  Scott Greenman was third at 16-00.75 which is also an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.  Jacob Zebedee finished fourth, Chase Jensen fifth and Brandon Rogers seventh.

The Vikings won five conference titles on Friday.  Kelsey Kaufmann cleared five-feet 7.75-inches in her third attempt in the high jump to take the championship.

Kyle Blakeslee brought the Vikings their second title, winning the women's 3,000-meter run and improving her qualifying mark by 10 seconds with a time of 9:44.47. Kristin Brondbo, who already has the top and only automatic qualifying time in Division II, finished fourth with a 10:07.60.

John Klecker won the men's 3,000-meter run in 8:33.96.

Augustana swept the distance medley relays.  The women's team of Emma Anderson, Kayla Mescher, Kara Bartels and Meritxell Delgado finished with a provisional qualifying time of 12:15.12, nearly 10 seconds ahead of the University of Mary.

The men's quartet of Nathan Hauge, Justin Cook, Aduo Omot and Keegan Carda took the NSIC title in a time of 10:24.83.

Competition wraps up Saturday at the Gillett Rec Center at Bemidji State University.

NORTHERN SUN INTERCOLLEGIATE INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEAM STANDINGS -- DAY ONE
WOMEN
Minnesota-Duluth 55
Augustana 38
Mary 31
Wayne State 30
Winona State 19
Minnesota State-Mankato 18
Sioux Falls 12.50
St. Cloud State 12.50
Northern State 11
Minnesota State-Moorhead 7

MEN
Minnesota State-Mankato 63
Sioux Falls 47.50
Augustana 35
Mary 29
St. Cloud State 25
Minnesota-Duluth 24
Concordia-St. Paul 22.50
Minnesota State-Moorhead 10
Minot State 8
Wayne State 5
Northern State 4

DAY 1 RESULTS