Augustana cross country opens season with strong showing at Fifth Annual Augustana Twilight

MEN'S RESULTS
WOMEN'S RESULTS
ALL RESULTS

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana men's and women's cross country teams opened up the 2015 season on Friday night hosting the Fifth Annual Augustana Twilight at Yankton Trails Park in Sioux Falls. The Viking women put together a first-place finish placing six runners in the top-25, including Leah Seivert's first-place finish.
 
The Viking placed five runners in the top-27 running to a second-place finish with Keegan Carda leading the way coming in seventh-place with a time of 19.31.59.
 
Seivert ran with the lead pack for the first two loops of the women's 3-mile race before pulling away in the last 800-meters for a time of 16:25.70 and a first-place finish.
 
"Coach Hellman told me to just stick with the front pack and in the last 800-meters push it to the end and that is what I was able to do to tonight."

Annie Kruse delivered a fourth-place finish with a time of 16:59.10 while freshman Ida Eltervaag placed eighth with a time of 17:26.00. Mackenzie Kelly and Courtney Hottovy finished 16th and 17th, respectively. Kelly recorded a time of 17:57.50 while Hottovy crossed the finish line in 17:59.10.
 
Annika Rotvold placed 23rd with a time of 18:15.90 and Emma Anderson clocked a 3-mile time of 18:34.00 to place 36th.
 
Avery Selberg finished in 79th with a time of 19:24.80 and Carly Bauer crossed the line with a time of 19:26.90 to finish 84th.
 
The Viking women finished with just 46 team points, 43 fewer than second-place finisher Dordt.
 
The University of Nebraska won the university division race with a team score of 26 behind the individual first-place finish by Bonnie Smith in 16:48.40.
 
Head coach Tracy Hellman was pleased with the performance of both teams in the season-opening event.
 
"We just started practice a week and a half ago," Hellman said. "We really preach within our program that the season is a progression, considering we finished first and second that gives me some hope that we can do great things this season."
 
Keegan Carda led the way for the Vikings in the men's 4-mile race clocking a time of 19:31.59 for a seventh-place finish. Logan Burns crossed the finish line in 20:07.71 to place 16th and was followed by a pack of teammates. Nick Larsen (20:17.58) placed 21st, followed by Nathan Hauge (20:20.27) in 25th and Glen Ellingson(20:22.93) in 27th.
 
The University of Nebraska won the university division over Creighton behind a first-place finish by Peter Spinks.
 
Augustana cross country will return to action Sept. 26 at the annual Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn.