For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 22, 2018
NSIC Media Relations

Minnesota State Selected as Preseason Favorite in NSIC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The six-time defending NSIC Champions of Minnesota State University, Mankato were picked to win the NSIC in the preseason men's outdoor track & field coaches' poll. The Mavericks received 10 first place votes and tallied 100 points, ranking them ahead of the University of Mary, which was second with 86 points. Augustana was third with 79 points, Sioux Falls was fourth with 77 points while Minnesota Duluth was fifth, garnering one first place vote.

The University of Mary's Luxon Glor (track) and MSU Moorhead's Brian Huber (field) were selected as the preseason athletes of the year.

The 2017-18 NSIC outdoor track & field season gets underway in the end of March with the regular season culminating on Friday-Saturday, May 11-12 at the NSIC Championship held at Paul Giel Field in Winona, Minnesota, hosted by Winona State University.  The NSIC multis will take place two weeks prior on April 29-30 at Clark Swisher Field in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
 

2017-18 NSIC Men's ODTF Preseason Coaches' Poll

Luxon Glor (Sprints, Jr., Winnipeg, Manitoba / Vauxhall Prep)
University of Mary
- A seven-time All-NSIC performer (six times indoor, once outdoors)
- Men’s high point scorer at the 2018 NSIC Indoor Championshis
- Won the 60-meter dash, placed second in the 200 meter run and third in the long jump
- Twice has competed at NCAA championship events (2017 outdoors in long jump, 2018 in 60 meter dash indoors)
- Earned second team All-American honors after placing 11th in the long jump at the 2018 NCAA indoor championships
- All-conference outdoors as a freshman in 2016 in the long jump (3rd)
  Brian Huber (Jumps, Sr., Staples, Minn. / Staples-Motley HS)
MSU Moorhead
- All-American in outdoor long jump in 2016 with a leap of 25-0.5
- 2017 NSIC outdoor champion in long jump
- Three-time outdoor national qualifier in long jump
- School record holder in outdoor long jump (25-0.75)
- Earned four conference titles in track career
- Three-time All-American overall
 

Augustana University Vikings

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
4th	3rd
Team Preview
Josh Barrows was the lone Viking male to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships last season and looks to build off that experience going into this season. The junior qualified in both the 800-meters and the 400-meter hurldes last season. Barrows also earned All-NSIC honors in the 400-meter hurdles last year. Anthony Huber is the other Vikings to watch after sitting out last outdoor season as a redshirt. During the indoor season, Huber took home second team All-American honors in the weight throw and was the NSIC champ in that event. Other Vikings who earned All-NSIC honors last season and return this year are Nathan Schroeder and Skylar DeJong who each earned accolades in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
Athletes to Watch
Josh Barrows (Mid-Distance, Jr., Helena, Mont. / Helena) Anthony Huber (Throws, Sr., Ethan, S.D. / Ethan)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open, Marshall, Minn.

Concordia University, St. Paul Golden Bears

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
10th	8th
Team Preview
The Concordia-St. Paul men’s track and field team return one of their deepest ever rosters after taking eighth place in the NSIC Indoor Championships a few weeks ago. CSP put up scores in 14 different events to bring the team to a total of 49.5 points in the meet. The top scorer was sophomore runner Benjamin Allen, who had a hand in 24 of the team’s 49.5 points, including 16 points in individual events. Allen broke three different individual school records in the indoor season while also helping the distance medley relay as well. Freshman Lajuan Preston added points in three different events in his first career conference championship meet as he tallied points in the 60 meter dash, the 200 meter dash and the long jump in the meet. Marcus Gustaveson added six points en route to being named All-NSIC in the shot put while Desmond Bassett added points in two events as well.
Athletes to Watch
Benjamin Allen (Mid-Distance, So., North St. Paul, Minn. / North St. Paul) Marcus Gustaveson (Throws, So., Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North)
First Event
Thursday-Friday, March 29-30 at Dutch Invitational (Central College)

University of Mary Marauders

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
3rd	2nd
Team Preview
Continuing to build on the jump the University of Mary men’s track & field team made last spring and this winter, the Marauders are projected to finish second in the 2018 Northern Sun outdoor championships. UMary placed third outdoors last spring before taking second at the indoor championships in February. Seven-time all-conference performer Luxon Glor leads the Marauders charge. The high-point individual scorer at the indoor championships a month ago, the junior will be a contender in the 100 and 200 meter runs and the long and triple jumps. He qualified for the 2017 outdoor national championships in the long jump and the 2018 indoor championships in the 60 meter dash. Senior Beau Nutting has become one of the top triple jumpers in the NSIC. He placed at the 2016 indoor championships and the 2017 indoor and outdoor championships in the triple jump before taking second at the 2018 NSIC indoor championships. Derek Myers (distance), Teegan Olson (middle distance) and Marceau Jovin (hurdles) all earned outdoor All-NSIC honors last spring and this winter indoors.
Athletes to Watch
Luxon Glor (Sprints/Jumps, Jr., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada / Vauxhall Prep) Beau Nutting (Jumps, Sr., Gillette, Wyo. / Campbell County)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
7th	5th
Team Preview
Veteran head coach Paul Nisius, whose Bulldogs are fresh off a third-place finish (its best showing in eight years) at the 2018 NSIC indoors, returns 28 lettermen for the outdoor season. Among the holdovers is a sizable number of point-producers at last spring’s NSIC Outdoor Championships including Cody Sedbrook (steeplechase), Ryan Tolkinen (400-meter hurdles and 4 x 400 relay, Austin Carlson (400-meter dash and 4 x 400 relay), Dan Clark (pole vault), Connor Behm (400-meter dash and 4 x 400 and 4 x 100 relays), Luke Lahr (5,000-meter run), Sam Wiechman (4 x 100 relay), Wyatt Midtvedt (1,500-meter run), Kelvin Kwarteng (4 x 100 relay), Blake Anderson (10,000-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase) and Nick Kalmes (discus). In addition, Clint Treichel, who placed second in the shot put at the recent NSIC indoor meet,  Logan Rubeck (who took fourth in the heptathlon at the NSIC indoors and a triple threat to score in the 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles and javelin) and sprinter Nate Hoglund are expected to make major contributions for the Bulldogs this spring.
Athletes to Watch
Austin Carlson (Sprints, So., Park Rapids, Minn. / Park Rapids) Clint Treichel (Throws, Sr., Stanchfield, Minn. / Cambridge-Isanti)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
1st	1st
Team Preview
Minnesota State will be looking to earn its seventh consecutive NSIC men’s outdoor track & field championship this year. Top returnees for the Mavericks include John Schuster who currently owns the Minnesota State University record in the 400m dash and Sam Udermann who is the defending NSIC Outdoor Track and Field champion in the hammer throw.  Head coach Mike Turgeon will look to continue his successful first season for the Mavericks after claiming the NSIC Men’s Indoor Championship this season.
Athletes to Watch
John Schuster (Sprints, Jr., Wells, Minn. / Wells) Sam Udermann (Throws, Sr., Foley, Minn. / Foley)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
6th Place	7th
Team Preview
MSUM will look to seniors Brian Huber (long jump) and Josh Young (1,500) to lead the way in the outdoor season. Huber was an All-American indoors in the long jump and won the NSIC outdoor title in that event last season. Young was All-American in the 1,500 a year ago and also was NSIC outdoor champion in that event. MSUM will look to its jumps and distance events as strengths in 2018.
Athletes to Watch
Brian Huber (Jumps, Sr., Staples, Minn. / Staples-Motley) Josh Young (Distance, Sr., Moorhead, Minn. / Moorhead)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

Minot State University Beavers

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
11th	11th
Team Preview
Minot State enters their first season under the direction of head coach Mark Del Monaco after placing 11th in the 2017 NSIC Outdoor Championships. The Beavers finished 11th as a team in the NSIC Indoor Championships in late February. Minot State is led by Colin Olson and Tanner Gust. Olson competed in the 800m and 1,500m last season while placing 15th in the 800m at the 2017 NSIC Outdoor Championships. Gust set a school record in the hammer throw at the 2017 NSIC Outdoor Championships while placing fourth and posting a throw of 51.41 meters. The Beavers open the outdoor season on Friday, March 30 at the Southwest Minnesota State Mustang Open in Marshall, Minn.
Athletes to Watch
Colin Olson (800m, So., Bismarck, N.D. / Bismarck Century) Tanner Gust (Hammer, Sr., Minot, N.D. / Minot)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

Northern State University Wolves

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
9th	9th
Team Preview
Northern State is coming off a ninth place finish from the NSIC Indoor Championships, while sending one to the NCAA Championships. The NSU men tallied one school record breaking performance in 2017, off the back of Itoitz Rodriguez with a time of 47.88 in the 400m. Rodriguez was named as the NSU track athlete to watch heading into the outdoor season, alongside Monte Meyerink as the field athlete to watch. Rodriguez finished fourth in the 400m from the NSIC Indoor Championships, while Meyerink finished 12th in the high jump. Freshman Tanner Berg notched a breakout indoor season, qualifying for the first NCAA Championships of his career in the weight throw. The Watertown native, twice broke the school record in the event, in his first season of competition in the event. Rodriguez, Meyerink, Berg, and the Wolves kick off competition Friday the 30th at the SMSU Mustang Open.
Athletes to Watch
Itoitz Rodriguez (Sprints, Jr., Usurbil, Spain) Monte Meyerink (Multis, Sr., Spearfish, S.D. / Spearfish HS)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

University of Sioux Falls Cougars

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
2nd	4th
Team Preview
University of Sioux Falls Men’s Track & Field looks for their third straight top-four finish at the NSIC Outdoor Championships after finishing runner-up one year ago. Leading the Cougars into the 2018 outdoor season is 2017 NSIC Newcomer of the Year Zach Lundberg, who scored in three different events at the 2017 NSIC Outdoor Championships. Lundberg also scored in two events at the NSIC Indoor Championships and had provisional qualifying times in the 800-meter and mile runs. Steven Brown returns to defend his 10,000-meter run title from a season ago, and he added a second All-NSIC finish with a runner-up performance in the men’s 5k. Jonathon Rowe leads the men’s sprints crew and he is coming off a record-breaking indoor season in which he narrowly missed a berth to the NCAA Championships in the 60-meter dash. Derrick Sheppard, USF’s men’s field athlete to watch, scored in both the shot put and hammer throw at the NSIC Outdoor Championships last season.
Athletes to Watch
Zach Lundberg (Mid-Distance, So., Omaha, Neb. / Omaha North) Derrick Sheppard (Throws, Sr., Fremont, Neb. / Fremont)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
5th	10th
Team Preview
The Southwest Minnesota State men’s outdoor track & field team had its best finish at the conference championships last season since reinstating the program in 2014. SMSU placed 5th last season with 66 points. Sophomore Bashir Aidrus an All-NSIC performer this season in cross country and indoor track, placed seventh in last season’s NSIC outdoor championships in the steeplechase. Senior Ashanti Payne had a strong 2018 indoor season in the weight throw and will be one of the team’s top throwers this spring.
Athletes to Watch
Bashir Aidrus (Distance, So., Waite Park, Minn. / Nyamitanga) Ashanti Payne (Throws, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn. / Robbinsdale Cooper)
First Event
Friday, March 30 at Mustang Open (Marshall, Minn.)

Wayne State College Wildcats

2017 NSIC Championship Finish	2018 Preseason Poll
T-7th	6th
Team Preview
The Wildcats will look to an experienced roster in hopes of bettering last year’s tie for seventh at the NSIC Outdoor Championships.  Senior Brady Metz placed in the long jump (4th) and triple jump (5th) last year while breaking a 29-year-old school record in the triple jump.  Senior Derek Lahm was fifth in the javelin and will contend for points in the decathlon.  Junior Robert Sullivan was All-NSIC in two events last year – third in the long jump and third in the decathlon.  Thrower Matt Nemec returns where he was All-NSIC (third) last season in the hammer throw.  Sophomore sprinter Clay Kramper is coming off an impressive indoor season where he set a new school record in the 200-meter dash.  Senior sprinter Braxton Adams (6th- 60 meter dash indoors) and sophomore Habib Jallow (4th in 400-meter hurdles last year) also bring experience and look to score points for the Wildcats this season.
Athletes to Watch
Clay Kramper (Sprints, So., Homer, Neb. / Homer) Robert Sullivan (Multis, Jr., Bennington, Neb. / Omaha Burke)
First Event
Thursday, March 22nd Wayne State College Outdoor Classic