Entering the last stretch of the outdoor regular season, the Augustana men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in an action-packed week, starting on Thursday, April 23, and ending on Saturday, April 25. The athletes split events across three different meets: the Kip Janvrin Open, hosted by Simpson College; the Drake Relays, hosted by Drake University; and the Augie Alternative, hosted by Augustana.

However, the team’s success came before their meets even kicked off when two Vikings received athletic honors. Junior Landon Wierenga was named CCIW Men’s Field Student-Athlete of the Week, while senior Charlotte Frere was named CCIW Women’s Field Athlete of the Week and the National Athlete of the Week by the U.S Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. 

To the director of track and field, Chad Gunnselson, though, this isn’t a surprise after seeing Frere compete at practice every day.

“[Frere] is someone academically, athletically, socially and spiritually, who is committed to being the best version of herself, and relentlessly pursues her goals,” Gunnelson said. “She pursues being the best possible teammate and competitor she can be. When you do that, when you apply that level of investment and commitment, growth is going to happen.”

At the Drake Relays, where athletes of all divisions compete, Frere and junior AJ Banks represented the Vikings. Banks, competing in the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles events, placed second in the 110m with a time of 14.47, but had a false start in the 400m. Frere, in the Championship division for discus, finished in seventh with a best throw of 52.00m. While his regular season is finished, Banks does not feel the pressure, as he maintains a mindset that keeps him hungry and grounded.

“I think I’m ranked first in conference for the 110m hurdles, and just trailing second in the 400 hurdles, and we got a good 4×400 relay set up,” Banks said. “This weekend is just another day to go and do something great, compete, have fun and race. The only guarantee is that you have the chance to go do something great, and I really love keeping that mindset, because it really helps me stay grounded in knowing that not everything is guaranteed.”

Meanwhile, at the Kip Janvrin Open, senior Magnus Wells and junior Laina Nelson both competed in the field events, shot put and discus. Wells’ placed 6th in men’s discus with a throw of 47.51 meters, while Nelson’s best throw in the event was 38.86m in the women’s competition. 

Going into the Augie Alternative, junior Tyreke Fortney was coming off a meet where he set a school record in the 100-meter, but he still expected more of himself since it was not a personal best.

“10.25, that’s definitely a benchmark time in the 100,” Fortney said. “Then I’m just trying to climb the leaderboard on the 200 because right now. I don’t know what I’m ranked in school history, but I’m just trying to climb that leaderboard.”

Back at home, the Augustana men delivered a well-rounded performance across multiple events. Fortney won the 100m title after running a 10.72 in the event, while First-Year Darin Pentsil added a second-place finish in the 200m and third in the 100m. First-Year Elijah Lara won the 400m hurdles and was runner-up in the 110m hurdles. In distance events, junior Adam Miller won the 1500m and the Vikings swept the top five spots in the 5000m. 

On the women’s side, the Vikings matched that success with standout efforts from First-Years Natalie Steva and Leila Sifford, and sophomore Marie Weber, who led the sprint and mid-distance groups with podium finishes, while First-Year Luniah Gilford and sophomore Elizabeth Lawton each captured event wins. Frere led the field events with a discus title and two runner-up finishes.

While First-Year Nicole Hoffman did not compete this week to rest for the CCIW Outdoor Championships, the goal was to support her teammates while keeping in mind that next week at conference, athletes will need to go all out. 

“The main goal is just to go out there, run really hard, and give it our all, because I know we still have two other meets that everyone can run in after conference,” Hoffman said. “It’s just race to your best ability, which I’m confident everyone can do, but also be there for everybody, and be adaptable too.”

Both teams will prepare for the CCIW Outdoor Championships on May 1-2 at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.