Augustana’s women’s track and field will travel to the Grinnel Invitational in Grinnell, Iowa on Saturday to get some strong times in before the CCIW Conference meet.
This is the first time the Vikings will be going to the Grinnell Invitational. Some teams that will be there are Cornell College, Wartburg College, and Bethel College.
Head coach David Thompson is expecting some good competition.
“This will be the first time we’ve seen them [Grinnel] in track.” Coach David Thompson said. “They’re a quality team…so we’ll have our hands full.”
Thompson remarked that the team is competing well so far this season.
“I thought the team has performed very well so far at this point,” Thompson said. “I think the main focus is trying to keep everyone healthy.”
Luckily for the Vikings, their teams haven’t had any major injuries. Thompson is hoping to keep injuries to only minor degrees.
“We’ve been rather fortunate, we’ve had some bumps and bruises, kind of what you see early in the year, and slight muscle soreness and (some) hamstring tightness,” Thompson said. “I think we’re lucky, nothing too serious and nothing that’s kept someone out for too serious a time. I think we’re lucky. Fingers crossed that we’ll stay like that for the next few weeks.”
The Vikings have some promising competitors for the upcoming meet, especially freshman Mackenzie Butcher and junior Zoe Robb in the pole vault.
“First-year Mackenzie Butcher is currently ranked number one in the CCIW in the pole vault and ranked nationally in the top twenty in the pole vault,” Thompson said. “Zoe Robb, in the pole vault is not too far behind her.”
The Vikings have some strong runners in other events as well.
“On the sprint side, I think it starts with (Senior) Annie Martines and (Senior) Rachel Akmakjian who are both off to good starts.” Thompson said. “Audrey Hogencamp [is another key athlete] who’s ranked number one in the CCIW in the pentathlon.”
Akmakjian is hopeful for the outcome in this meet.
“Our team has become more organized, with the new coach technique more strategically focused,” Akmakjian said. “I think this meet is going to just add to the momentum we have been building throughout the season. it is one of our last meets before Conference so we are hoping for our training and technique to just fall into place.”