Men’s Track & Field on Feb 26 taken by Ben Diers

Bobbi Jo Evers, staff writer

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships were held on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, hosted by Macalester College. The Augsburg men’s and women’s teams competed, claiming two conference titles and placing ninth overall for the women and 10th overall for the men. It was an eventful two-day meet as athletes put a cap on the indoor season, looking forward to the fresh air of the outdoor season. 

For the men’s team, first year distance runner Mohammed Bati took the gold. Bati placed first in the 5000-meter run with a time of 14:46.60, annihilating Augsburg’s school record and earning 10 points for the team. Junior distance runner and sprinter Getinat Asfaw snagged two “Top 5” finishes for the Auggies. Asfaw placed fifth with a time of 1:57.77 in the 800-meter run and fourth place in the 1000-meter run with a time of 2:32.79, gaining four points for the team. Senior distance runner Sakariya Hussien had a sixth place finish in the 1000-meter with a time of 2:33.29, earning three points for the Auggies. The last to place for the men’s team was senior sprinter Varney Conneh, placing seventh with a time of 7.19 seconds in the 60-meter dash and earning two more points for the team. 

Overall it was incredibly exciting to be a spectator during these races, especially seeing Auggies race against each other. 

The women’s team had a conference champion as well, as first year sprinter Allison Hookom earned 10 points for the team with her first place title in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.32 seconds. Hookom also placed sixth in the 200-meter dash, earning three points for the team with a time of 26.62 seconds. First year jumper CC Cesare broke her own school record in the triple jump event, taking fifth place with a jump clearing 10.37 meters and earning four points for the team. The women’s 4×200-meter relay team of sophomore sprinter Santrice Rodriguez, junior Mya Bishop, Cesare and Hookom placed fourth with a time of 1:48.62, earning five more points for the Auggies. 

For a men’s team that has such a range of runners and a women’s team that is so young, the Auggies are off to a phenomenal start heading into the outdoor season. The indoor season has proved that there is so much more to come from these athletes, and I for one can’t wait to see what happens in the next few months. Congratulations to the Auggie athletes for a successful indoor season, and good luck in the upcoming outdoor season. We are rooting for you! For more information on the outdoor season meet schedule, please check out Mens and Womens Track and Field on Augsburg’s athletics pages.