2021 NSIC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Preseason Poll

3/25/2021 10:15:00 AM

MINNESOTA STATE SELECTED IN NSIC 
MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The eight-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 nine first place votes and tallied 119 points, ranking them ahead of Augustana, which was second with 113 points and three first place votes. Northern State was third with 88 points, University of Mary was fourth with 87 points while MSU Moorhead was fifth with 86 points.

Concordia-St. Paul's Ben Allen was voted by the coaches as preseason outdoor track athlete of the year while Augustana's Tyl Woelber was named the preseason field athlete of the year. 

The 2021 NSIC outdoor track & field season gets underway in the end of March with the regular season culminating on Thursday-Saturday, May 13-15 at the NSIC Championships held at Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minnesota, hosted by the University of Minnesota Duluth. 

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Ben Allen (Mid-Distance, Sr., North St. Paul, Minn. / North St. Paul HS) - Concordia University, St. Paul
  • Named First Team All-American in the outdoor 1500m in 2019
  • 2019 NSIC Outdoor Champion in the 1500m
  • Earned First Team All-American honors in the indoor mile in 2020
  • Holds six CSP track school records, four indoor (800m & one mile in 2020, 100m & DMR in 2019) and two outdoor (1500m in 2019, DMR in 2018)
Ben Allen has a reputation that precedes him. That reputation is one of a humble and kind general disposition, but fierce competitor when it comes to racing. With All-American credentials and his feared finishing speed, Ben brings so much strength and wisdom to an otherwise young and talented middle distance group. His presence and performances serve as an inspiration to many that have the opportunity to train and race with him, and he backs it all up with great character and humility.
Head Coach Sam Johnson
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Tyl Woelber (Multi/Jumps, Jr., Pipestone Minn. / Pipestone Area HS) - Augustana
  • Placed first in the javelin throw at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 189-7
  • Placed second in the decathlon at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a point total of 6,694
  • Had top-five finishes in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with jumps of 6-5.5, 22’7, and 47-0.75, respectively
  • Placed fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a score of 5,207 points
Tyl continues to raise the bar in terms of his contributions to our team. He is asked to do multiple events and he is always willing and excited to do whatever he can for the team. Our coaching staff and team appreciate the team first mentality that he has
Head Coach Tracy Hellman

NSIC TEAM PREVIEWS & PLAYERS TO WATCH

AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY

The Augustana men just narrowly missed claiming the NSIC title scoring 200 points to finish second behind Minnesota State's 201.5 points at the indoor meet. The Vikings took the top spot in six events and 17 top-3 finishes at the NSIC Championships indoors. 

Augustana finished third in the NSIC Outdoor Championships in 2019 and return eight from that team along with a strong Viking cast from the successful indoor campaign.

Indoor was a great stepping stone for our men's team. We are excited and motivated for the outdoor season to begin.
Head Coach Tracy Hellman
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Alec Kray (Distance, Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D. / Washington HS) - Augustana University

  • Has a personal-best 1500m time of 4:02.61
  • Broke the school record in the 5,000m at the Ichabod Invite running 14:10.51 this past indoor season
  • Won the 3,000m at the NSIC Indoor Championships running 8:23.74
  • Placed second in the 5,000m at the NSIC Indoor Championships running 14:20.27
Alec Kray had a breakout indoor campaign, and is finally healthy and training consistently. He is also a great leader for our team and I look forward to seeing him compete.
Head Coach Tracy Hellman

Tyl Woelber (Multi/Jumps, Jr., Pipestone, Minn. /  Pipestone Area HS) - Augustana University

  • Placed first in the javelin throw at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 189-7
  • Placed second in the decathlon at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a point total of 6,694
  • Had top-five finishes in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with jumps of 6-5.5, 22’7, and 47-0.75, respectively
  • Placed fifth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a score of 5,207 points
Tyl continues to raise the bar in terms of his contributions to our team. He is asked to do multiple events and he is always willing and excited to do whatever he can for the team. Our coaching staff and team appreciate the team first mentality that he has.
Head Coach Tracy Hellman

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL 

The Concordia-St. Paul men’s track and field team will enter the outdoor season coming off an indoor season in which they finished eighth at the NSIC Championships with a total of 30 points. On the track, senior Benjamin Allen will be the Golden Bear to watch. In the 2019 outdoor season, Allen was the NSIC champion in the 1500m and finished third in the 800m. Allen was also the 2019 NSIC indoor champion in the mile. The senior owns seven school records in total, four indoor and three outdoor. Marcus Gustaveson will be the CSP athlete to watch in the field this season. The thrower finished second in the discus throw at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 51.08m and finished eighth in the shot put at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 15.63m. He was also the NSIC champion in the indoor shot put in 2020 and owns the school record in the discus throw. The team got their season rolling at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on March 19 and 20, taking home three first-place finishes.

The outdoor version of this year's men's team will be bolstered by the addition of several key upperclassmen contributors that only have outdoor season eligibility. It is exciting to think about the steps forward we can take as a team as we transition to the outdoor season.
Head Coach Sam Johnson
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Ben Allen (Mid-Distance, Sr., North St. Paul, Minn. / North St. Paul HS) -  Concordia University, St. Paul

  • Named First Team All-American in the outdoor 1500m in 2019
  • 2019 NSIC Outdoor Champion in the 1500m
  • Earned First Team All-American honors in the indoor mile in 2020
  • Holds seven CSP track school records, four indoor (800m & one mile in 2020, 100m & DMR in 2019) and three outdoor (1500m in 2019, DMR in 2018, mile in 2021)
Ben Allen has a reputation that precedes him. That reputation is one of a humble and kind general disposition, but fierce competitor when it comes to racing. With All-American credentials and his feared finishing speed, Ben brings so much strength and wisdom to an otherwise young and talented middle distance group. His presence and performances serve as an inspiration to many that have the opportunity to train and race with him, and he backs it all up with great character and humility.
Head Coach Sam Johnson

Marcus  Gustaveson (Throws Senior Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton North HS) - Concordia University, St. Paul

  • Finished second in the discus throw at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 51.08m
  • Finished eighth in the shot put at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships with a throw of 15.63m
  • 2020 NSIC Indoor Champion in the shot put with a throw of 16.98m 
  • Set the outdoor school record in both the discus throw and the shot put in his first meet of 2021
Marcus is one of the most physically gifted athletes to come through our program and he is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of in the throws. For the first time in his collegiate career, he was able to dedicate an entire offseason to throwing and it is paying off big time. With only outdoor eligibility remaining, he has been anxious to get competing.
Head Coach Sam Johnson

UNIVERSITY OF MARY

The Northern Sun runner-up at the last two men’s outdoor conference championship meets in 2018 and 2019, the University of Mary is back in action after missing last spring to the COVID-19 pandemic with a mix of veterans and newcomers. 

A pair of juniors are the Marauders Athletes to Watch in 2021 and both are coming off strong indoor seasons. A distance runner, Jesse Kass is a two-time all-conference performer for the Marauders. The native of Graham, WA, earned conference and regional honors in cross country in 2019 and all-league recognition indoors in 2020. Kaas posted NCAA qualifying marks indoors this winter and was a top five placer at the NSIC championships in the 3K and 5K. 

Dillan Kovash is the Marauders field athlete to watch. A two-event athlete who will also throw the javelin, the Manning, ND, native made big strides throughout the 2021 indoor season in the pole vault. At the NSIC championships, Kovask cleared a personal-best and NCAA qualifying height of 4.77 meters to finish second in the conference. 

Newcomer Steven Brown, a transfer from Sioux Falls, won the NSIC 5000 meter outdoor title in 2018 and the 10K in 2017. 

Several other Marauders also look to have big seasons outdoors. Cory Myers was the runner up in the 800 at the 2019 NSIC outdoor championships and Josh Wulfekuhle earned all-NSIC honors on the 4x100 meter relay team. 2020 NSIC Indoor 200 meter champion Logan Myers and All-NSIC performers Brady Erickson (sprints, jumps), and Dawson Strom (distance) also are impact performers for UMary. 

The Marauders outdoor season begins Sunday, March 28, at the Black Hills State Spring Opener. 

The growth and progression of our program is what we are most excited about this outdoor season. We have a lot of athletes who are on the verge of doing great things during the outdoor season. It will take hard work and dedication to reach our full potential as a program, but we look forward to the challenge.
Head Coach Dennis Newell
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Jesse Kaas (Distance, Jr.,  Graham, Wash. / Graham-Kapowsin HS) -  University of Mary

  • Two-time All-Northern Sun performer for the Marauders
  • Earned all-conference and all-region honors in cross country in 2019
  • Top five finisher in both the 3000 and 5000 at the 2021 NSIC indoor championships
Jesse had a break-out indoor season for us in the 3,000m and 5,000m events. He has put in a substantial body of work to make an impact in the 5,000m outdoor. As challenging as it is to be a distance runner in the North Dakota winter, it has made him tougher with a great mindset going into the races. He is gaining confidence in how good he really can be in the 5,000m.
Head Coach Dennis Newell

Dillan Kovash (Pole Vault, Jr., Dickinson, N.D.  / Dickinson-Trinity HS) - University of Mary

  • Northern Sun pole vault runner-up at the 2021 conference championships
  • Set a personal-best when he cleared an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 4.77 meters
  • A member of the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence
Dillan has made a tremendous impact in his junior season so far. He has put together many years of dedication to the pole vault and is now seeing great results. We are extremely excited for his outdoor season to continue to progress up to provisional marks.
Head Coach Dennis Newell

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH

The UMD men’s track and field team enters the 2021 outdoor season poised to improve on its seventh-place finish at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Outdoor Track and Field Championships now nearly two years ago. Two athletes two watch for UMD are Senior Cole Lebourgeois and Senior Ian O’Connor. Lebourgeois set two personal bests during the 2019 Outdoor Track and Field season. His 3:56.47 mark at the Minnesota Men’s Twilight Open set his personal best in the 1500-meter run placing fifth at that event. Cole also set a personal best in the 800-meter run posting a first-place finish and time of 1:55.42 in the 2019 Bulldog Open. Lebourgeois is coming off a fourth-place finish in the 1000-meter run at the 2021 NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships and will look to carry that momentum into this outdoor season. Ian O’Connor is your UMD athlete to watch in field events this outdoor season. O’Connor is a three-time NSIC scorer during his Bulldog career. O’Connor placed 7th in the Decathlon at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, 8th place in the Heptathlon at the 2019 NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships and is coming off of a 6th place finish in the High Jump at the 2021 NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships. 

The men are looking forward to getting back to being together as a team and building on some of the successes they had during our very short indoor season. There are a lot of talented men who have been working hard over the past year and they will have many more opportunities to showcase what they are truly capable of in the coming months and will cap it off as we once again host the NSIC Championship Meet at UMD.
Head Coach Laura Harmon
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Cole Lebourgeois (Mid-Distance, Jr., Woodbury, Minn. / Stillwater HS) - University of Minnesota Duluth

  • Ran personal best 3:56.47 in the 1500M at the 2019 Minnesota Men's Twilight Open placing fifth
  • Ran personal best 1:55.42 in the 800M at the 2019 Bulldog Open placing first
  • Coming off of a 4th place finish in the 1000M run at the 2021 NSIC Indoor Championships
Cole is coming off a great showing at the Indoor NSIC Championship meet where he finished 4th place in the 1000 and ran the lead leg of our 5th place DMR team. I expect that with more competitive opportunities he will be a serious conference contender this outdoor season.
Head Coach Laura Harmon

Ian O’Connor (Multis, Jr., Savage, Minn. / Prior Lake HS) - University of Minnesota Duluth

  • 7th Place finish in Men's Decathlon at 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships 
  • 6th Place finish in the high jump at 2021 NSIC Indoors 
  • 8th Place finish in the heptathlon at 2019 NSIC Indoors
Ian has demonstrated throughout his career that he is capable of competing at a high level within the NSIC in both individual events and in the multis having scored in the heptathlon, decathlon, and most recently the high jump. He is poised to improve upon his 7th place decathlon finish from 2019.
Head Coach Laura Harmon

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO

The defending NSIC outdoor track & field champions will look for their ninth consecutive team win in the conference during the 2021 outdoor season. Selected by coaches in the conference to finish first in the NSIC with nine first place votes, the Mavericks will look to build off an indoor track and field season which saw them claim their 10th straight conference championship. With Bryant Brown and Deveyonn Brown selected as the Minnesota State outdoor track and field athletes to watch this season, the Mavericks return team experience and All-American talent in many events.

The maverick men are built for the outdoor season with competitive athletes across all the events. We look forward to competing outdoors again and gearing up to defend our title from 2019.
Head Coach Mike Turgeon
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Bryant Brown (Sprints, Sr., Milwaukee, Wis. / John Marshall HS) - Minnesota State University, Mankato

  • NSIC champion in the 60m dash during the 2019-20 indoor track & field championships
  • Was named NSIC track athlete of the week for his performance in the Chuck Petersen Open during the 2019-20 season
  • Two-Time competitor in the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships as a member of the Iowa Central track & field program
Bryant is poised for a fantastic final season. He returns for his final outdoor season after exhausting his indoor eligibility. He is one of the nations top returning sprinters and will be a boost to the already strong maverick sprint group.
Head Coach Mike Turgeon

Deveyonn Brown (High Jump, Sr., Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake HS) - Minnesota State University, Mankato

  • Earned All-American honors in the 2019 outdoor track & field season with a ninth-place finish in the NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships
  • Defending NSIC indoor track & field champion in the high jump along with All-American after finishing 3rd at NCAA DII Indoor Track & Field Championships
  • Named NSIC Field Athlete of the week two times during his career
Look up in the sky and you will find Deveyon. Seven feet is no easy task, but Deveyon brings the bounce and is a member of the elusive 7 foot club. Winning the last two high jump crowns at the NSIC championships, he will be motivated to fight for another come outdoor.
Head Coach Mike Turgeon

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD

The MSUM men placed third indoors and are led by senior Nadir Yusuf and sophomore Shyrone Kemp. Yusuf has three NSIC titles in his career and set the school and meet record in the 5K at the NSIC Indoor Championships in February.  He has six All-NSIC honors in track.  Kemp was All-American indoors in the triple jump and set a school record in the event earlier this year. Kemp is a two-time All-American. Sophomore Braxton Bruer is coming off an All-NSIC performance in the 800 during the indoor championships. 

We’re looking to build on the successes we had during the indoor season and have a strong showing at the 2021 NSIC Outdoor Championships.
Head Coach Ryan Milner
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Nadir  Yusuf  (Distance, Sr., Willmar, Minn. / Willmar HS) - Minnesota State University Moorhead

  • NSIC Outdoor Champion in 5K in 2019
  • Was All-NSIC in 10K in 2019 as well
  • Won 5K at NSIC Indoor in February with meet and school record of 14:14.30
  • A three-time NSIC champion in track
Nadir’s career as a Dragon has been defined by his leadership, consistency, focus, and having his best races when it matters most. We will again be looking to Nadir to lead our team on the track during the outdoor season.
Head Coach Ryan Milner

Shyrone Kemp (Jumps, So., Jones Town, Bahamas/ Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy) - Minnesota State University Moorhead

  • Earned two All-NSIC honors during 2019 outdoor championships
  • All-American in triple jump indoors in both 2020 and 2021
  • Placed fifth at indoor nationals in March
  • 2020 NSIC Indoor Newcomer of the Year
Shy put together a tremendous indoor campaign. He established himself as one of the best all around jumpers in the NSIC and as one of the best triple jumpers in NCAA DII. We’ll be looking for him to build on that momentum throughout the outdoor season.
Head Coach Ryan Milner

MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

The Beavers are looking to build on a solid indoor season after capping the NSIC Championships with their highest finish in program history (7th place). MSU men’s track and field earned five NSIC All-Conference Honors including nine NSIC podium finishers. Minot State earned 14 medals to become the most successful men’s track and field team since joining Division II. Chase Tandy placed third in the 400 meters with a time of 49.69 which was 0.03-tenths of a second behind second place to earn All-NSIC Honors. The Beavers 4x400 team of Chase Doty, Lewis Cotterill, Chase Tandy, and Joseph Green placed fourth with a time of 3:24.62. It marked the highest finish at the NSIC Indoor Championships since joining NCAA DII. Minot State finished second in the men’s DMR to earn All-NSIC honors. Trestin Mancillas-Finnerty, Chase Tandy, Lewis Cotterill, and Jacob Jensen broke the school record with a time of 10:25.54. 

Our men are coming off a fantastic indoor campaign with our highest team finish at NSIC's. I am excited to see that success springboard us into the outdoor season. We feel like we can take another big step forward this outdoor season and again contend to put people on the medal stand in Duluth in May.
Head Coach Mark Del Monaco
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Chase Tandy (Sprints, Fr., Danville, Ky. / Danville HS) - Minot State University

  • Member of the 4x400 team that finished 4th at the NSIC Indoor Championships with a time of 3:24.62
  • Finished 3rd in the 400m at the NSIC Indoor Championships with a time of 46.69 to earn NSIC All-Conference Honors
  • Also helped the men’s DMR break a school record, earn All-NSIC Honors, and finish 2nd place with a time of 10:25.54
From his first day on campus, Chase Tandy has established himself as a leader in this program. Chase goes out of his way to make sure everyone is a welcome member of the team. He keeps practice energetic and always helps set the tone on meet-day with is energy and his performance.
Head Coach Mark Del Monaco

Ben Aasen (Javelin, Sr., Minot, N.D. / Minot HS) - Minot State University

  • Finished third in the javelin at the 2019 Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a 55.39m throw, named All-NSIC after that performance.
  • Placed second at the 2019 Yellow Jacket Spring Open in the javelin with a 56.26m launch.
  • Finished fifth at the 2018 Marauders Track & Field Winter Festival on Dec. 8 with a shot-put toss of 10.46m.
  • Ran the 1600 at the SDSU Indoor Classic to mark his only running appearance of the season.
Ben is a big student of the game, and is always looking for every little detail that can help him succeed. Ben is also a great guy to have around the group as he is always in a great mood and brings a very positive and energetic atmosphere to the team.
Head Coach Mark Del Monaco

NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

The Northern State men placed sixth from the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships and recently took fourth from the 2021 NSIC Indoor Championships. The Wolves tallied six all-conference performances and three conference championships during the 2021 indoor season. Tanner Berg won both the weight throw and shot put, while Terry Towah was the true freshman champion in the 200m. Bryce Malsam and Tanner Berg were picked as the team’s athletes to watch for the 2021 outdoor season. Malsam returns to the NSU roster following his 2020 COVID senior season, while Berg looks to continue his strong performances from the indoor slate. The Wolves return 28 from last year's roster and welcome 13 to the squad in 2020-21.

We are coming off a great indoor season. We are always a stronger outdoor team and we will be bringing back several All-Conference performers for their final collegiate season. We are excited to see what this talented group can do for the outdoor season.
Head Coach Lynne Dingman
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Bryce Malsam (Mutli/Hurdles/PV, Sr., Roscoe, S.D. / Edmunds Central HS) - Northern State University

  • National Indoor Qualifier in the heptathlon (2020)
  • 2-time NSIC All-Conference performer (heptathlon, 60m hurdles)
  • National provisional mark holder in the decathlon (2019)
Bryce is our returning MVP from indoors 2020. He is such a valuable asset to our team and can score in multiple events. His focus and drive is unbreakable. He is going to do some big things this outdoor season.
Head Coach Lynne Dingman

Tanner Berg (Throws, Sr., Watertown, S.D. / Watertown HS) - Northern State University

  • 2-time NSIC outdoor All-Conference performer
  • 2019 NCAA Outdoor qualifier in the hammer throw
  • NSU school record holder in the hammer
  • 4-time NCAA Indoor All-American
  • 3-time NSIC Champion
Tanner has a tremendous work ethic. He has worked his way to the top of Division II rankings in the throws and he will be a triple threat for us this outdoor season.
Head Coach Lynne Dingman

UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS

The University of Sioux Falls Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Squad, which finished fourth at the last NSIC Outdoor Meet in 2018-19 with 78 points, will be led by a solid group in the sprints, jumps, throws and middle and long distance. Directed by Head Coach Doug Petersen, the Cougars will be led in the throws by Patrick Hagan, who had two top-10 throws at the NSIC Outdoor Meet in 2019.  USF’s Track Athlete to Watch David Ecker, a junior who is a seven-time NSIC indoor or outdoor qualifier, has placed 10 times as an individual or on a team in the top eight with one individual title.  USF will also return Mason Phillips, a senior who has earned six combined All-American honors in cross country and track and field, has a combined nine NSIC Weekly Athlete of the Week honors in track and field and cross country and owns has six individual school records and three more as a member of a relay squad for 10 total school marks. The Men’s Outdoor Team wil also look for contributions in middle distance from Logan Hansen in the 800/1500 meters with Aaron Voigt adding strength in distance in the steeplechase and 5K. Also for USF, Ethan Holm, who ranks sixth all-time at USF in the decathlon (4,850 points) is another contributor. Also look for jumps specialists Isiah Dancy in the triple jump and long jump, Steven Menor in the high jump and Jake Peterson in the pole vault along with sprinter Nate Andrusick. 

USF is a young squad and gotten a lot of experience this past indoor season. Everyone has great attitudes and work hard. We will take the things we learned and use them to build on our outdoor season.
Head Coach Doug Petersen
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Dave Ecker (Distance, Jr., Eau Clair, Wis. / Eau Clair North HS) - University of Sioux Falls

  • Five times a member of USF teams that placed in top-6 in NSIC in track and field and cross country and member of the NSIC championship XC team in 2018
  • Eleven times finished in the top-eight with one individual titles in distance events
  • Seven-time NSIC qualifier in distance events
  • Ranks 9th all-time at USF in the 5K (8:41.96, 2021)
Dave is one of the team leaders on our men's distance team and coming off a strong indoor season. He has a great work ethic and has become a top distance runner on our team. His times indoors placed him in our Honor Roll in the 3,000m run just off the list in the mile and 5,000m. Indoor NSIC qualifier in three events.
Head Coach Doug Petersen

Patrick Hagan (Throws, Jr., Austin, Minn. /Austin HS) - University of Sioux Falls

  • Three-time qualifier in throwing events at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships
  • Ranks 4th all-time indoor in weight throw at USF (56-7.5, 2019) & eighth in the javelin throw (173.9.5, 2019) at USF
  • Placed sixth in the NSIC Indoor Weight Throw in 2020; and ninth in the hammer throw and 10th in the shot put at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor
Patrick is coming off a redshirt year from 2020. He was an outdoor qualifier in three throwing events at the NSIC Outdoor Championships in 2019. Patrick was a NSIC Indoor qualifier in the weight throw.
Head Coach Doug Petersen

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Southwest Minnesota State men’s outdoor track & field team has solid mix of veterans and newcomers that have a chance to score points at this year’s conference championships under second-year head coach Kirk Naumann. Senior Connor Wigand leads the team this spring following a strong indoor season in which he placed second in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw. Wigand placed fifth in the shot put and fifth in the discus at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships. Senior Isaiah Nelson will look to contend for a podium spot after earning a sixth-place finish in the triple jump at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championship.  Redshirt freshman Renald Pierre will be competing in his first outdoor season this spring following a solid 2021 indoor season in which he placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles at the NSIC Championships.

This will be my first outdoor season with the Mustangs due to Covid. We have performed well indoors both years as we continue to grow and evolve as a program. The plan is for more records to fall which equals improvement in the NSIC.
Head Coach Kirk Nauman
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Renald Pierre (Hurdles, So., Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Dunbar HS) - Southwest Minnesota State University 

  • First outdoor season in 2021
  • Finished fourth at the 2021 NSIC Indoor Championships in the 60m hurdles
Renald had a great progression in the hurdles on the shortened indoor season. This culminated in a 4th place finish in the 60 m hurdles at the NSIC Championships. Come outdoor, Renald will have his first collegiate outdoor season due to not competing because of the Covid shutdown last year. I am excited to see him hurdle outside.
Head Coach Kirk Nauman

Connor Wigand (Throws, Sr., Manitowoc, Wis. / Manitowoc Lincoln HS) - Southwest Minnesota State University

  • 2021 All-NSIC Indoor in the shot put and finished seventh in the weight throw 
  • 2020 All-NSIC Indoor in the shot put
  • Place fifth in both the shot put and discus at the 2019 NSIC Outdoor Championships
  • 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District 
Connor comes into his senior outdoor season after a record breaking indoor season. We are hoping for more of the same from Connor outdoors while improving his national list marks. We are hoping indoor was a springboard to a possible NCAA Outdoor Championships bid.
Head Coach Kirk Nauman

UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY

The Upper Iowa’s men’s outdoor track and field team couldn’t be more excited to get into competitions this spring. This spring marks the inaugural season for the outdoor team, which was delayed from 2020 due to the pandemic. The Peacocks are coming off a solid showing at the 2021 NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships where they finished ninth in the standings. The team set four school records and notched first, second, and third-place finishes in different events as they scored 28 points as a program. NSIC Newcomer of the Year Paul Marchand led the squad by securing 18 points as the NSIC Champion in the long jump and NSIC Runner-Up in the 60m dash. Jaylen Hobson also earned All-NSIC honors with a third-place mark in the triple jump. In addition to Marchand and Hobson, the Peacocks return quite a few athletes with experience over the last two indoor seasons in the Northern Sun. Teddy Ayden, Kaden Ludwig, Cameron Green, Deion Jones, Iain Gronewold and Brady Krupa all were part of the Peacocks’ 28 points at the NSIC Championships in February. The team will open the spring season at Loras College on Mar. 31 when they compete in the Mid-Week Invite at the Rock Bowl in Dubuque, Iowa.

As coaching staff we are looking forward to this outdoor season. Having missed last outdoor due to COVID, we are excited to see what this young men's program is capable of once we get outside.
Head Coach Nate Rucker
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Paul  Marchand (Sprints/Jumps, Fr., Nashua, N.H. / Nashua South HS) - Upper Iowa University

  • Named 2021 NSIC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Newcomer of the Year
  • Earned NSIC title in long jump with a leap of 7.13 meters
  • Ran the second fastest 60 meters at the NSIC Championships as well in a time of 6.89 seconds
  • Both marks set Upper Iowa program records
After an impressive NSIC debut, finishing 1st in the Long Jump and 2nd in the 60m, we are excited to see what the outdoor season holds for Paul. His training is going well and we feel he is primed for another big season during his freshman campaign.
Head Coach Nate Rucker

Jaylen Hobson (Jumps, So., Dekalb, Ill. / DeKalb HS) -  Upper Iowa University

  • Secured third place and All-NSIC honors in the triple jump with a mark of 14.06 meters at the 2021 NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships
  • Set a new personal-best in the long jump at UIU with a leap of 6.65 meters at Dakota Wesleyan in early February 2021
  • At the 2020 NSIC Championships, Hobson placed 11th in the long jump (6.46 meters)
After a strong NSIC Indoor meet where he finished 3rd in the Triple Jump, we are excited to see Jaylen continue his success from indoor season and carry them into the outdoor season. He made tremendous progress on the track during indoor. We are looking forward to what he can do once he gets outside.
Head Coach Nate Rucker

WAYNE STATE COLLEGE

The Wayne State men’s outdoor track and field team returns one NSIC champion and three other All-NSIC performers from the 2019 squad that placed eighth at the NSIC Outdoor Championships.  Senior thrower Cade Kalkowski is the reigning NSIC champion in the hammer throw and is a two-time NCAA National qualifier in the event.  Senior shot putter Ben Allen was third two years ago in the shot put and is coming off All-NSIC honors in the same event during the indoor season.  Senior Dylan Kaup is a two-time NCAA National qualifier in the hammer throw and was All-NSIC in 2019 taking third to go with a eighth place medal in the discus.  Long jumper Mikhail Sands earned All-NSIC honors as a freshman two years ago and is the top returning jumper for the ‘Cats.  Senior Preston Davis started to shine two years ago in the javelin, taking fifth.  Freshman Dylan Kneifl in the high jump gives WSC a legitimate chance to score points while junior Noah Lilly returns in the decathlon and placed eighth as a freshman two years ago and is coming off a strong indoor season scoring points in two events.  Wayne State is slated to open the 2021 outdoor season on Friday and Saturday (March 26th and 27th) hosting the Wayne State Outdoor Classic.  

We have a good mix of older veteran athletes, along with several younger athletes that contributed during the indoor season. I think they will continue to mesh together and give us a chance to improve on our conference placing as we move from indoor to outdoor events.
Head Coach Marlon Brink
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Noah Lilly (Heptathlon, Jr., Creighton, Neb. / Creighton HS) -  Wayne State College

  • Placed eighth in decathlon as a freshman in 2019
  • Scored 5,913 points
  • All-NSIC during indoor season with third place finish heptathlon

 

Noah has really started to emerge this year as a very competitive collegiate athlete. He has worked hard to become a good all-around athlete as is necessary in the decathlon/multis. That has carried over into his ability to become a better hurdler and is capable of placing in the 110 meter hurdles in the NSIC.
Head Coach Marlon Brink

Cade Kalkowski  (Weight Throw, Sr., Niobrara, Neb. / Niobrara HS)  - Wayne State College

  • Reigning two-time champion in hammer throw (2018, 2019)
  • Two-time NCAA National qualifier in hammer throw
  • Threw 200’ 0 in hammer throw at Concordia Invite (4/6/19)
Cade has been a top level performer for us for several years now and has proven he can compete at the NSIC and NCAA level. He should be a force to contend with in the hammer throw and will make an impact on both levels again this year.
Head Coach Marlon Brink
#NSICODTF