SIOUX FALLS—Following a strong showing at the South Dakota State DII Invitational last weekend, the University of Sioux Falls Indoor Track and Field Men and Women's Team will send split squads to Mankato, Minn., and Golden, Colo., for competitions.
 
Part of the team will travel to Mankato, Minn., to compete in the Minnesota State University Mark Schuck Multi and Open Invitational on Friday, Jan. 25- Saturday, Jan. 26.  USF will also send 11 athletes to Golden, Colo., to compete in the 2019 DII Invite and Multi hosted by Colorado School of Mines on Friday, Jan. 25.
 
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Last time out
Highlighted by strong performances in the distance events, the USF Men's Indoor Track and Field team finished second and the women's team finished seventh at the South Dakota State DII Open Invitational on Jan. 18.
 
The USF men's team racked up 74 total points in the meet, trailing only NSIC preseason favorite Minnesota State who accumulated 185 points. Northern State finished in third with 72.5 points followed by Morningside's 44 points. The USF women's team tallied 44 points, which was good for a seventh place finish. MSU finished in first place with 148.5 points, followed by Winona State (106), Augustana (84), and Northern State (55). St. Cloud State wrapped up the top- five with 51 points and SDSU just edged out USF for sixth with 47points.
 
USF Men's team picked third and Women's sixth in NSIC Preseason poll
In the NSIC Coaches Preseason Indoor Track and Field Poll, the USF Men's Track & Field team was picked to finish third out of 11 programs in the NSIC. Minnesota State was tabbed the unanimous favorite with an even 100 points from 10 first-place votes while the Cougars received 81 vote points.
 
In the Women's Preseason Coaches Poll, USF was selected to finish sixth out of the 15 programs as they received 132 points in the poll. U-Mary was picked to win the NSIC as they garnered 10 first place votes and 192 points. The Marauders edged out MSU, who was last year's pick to win the NSIC, by five points as the Mavericks polled 187 points with the other five first place votes.
 
Ceglowski named "Athlete to Watch"
Sophomore Taryn Ceglowski was named the second-ever USF female NSIC Indoor Track and Field Newcomer of the Year last season as she posted two top-three finishes to earn All-NSIC honors in the mile and the 1,500-meter run events in which she was also named All-Region. Ceglowski has set six women's school track and field records. She finished third in the 800 meters at the NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships a year ago and qualified for the DII Championships. Ceglowski qualified for nationals in three different events last year in the 800-meter run, 1,500-meter run, and the mile run. She was USF's first NCAA Division II Outdoor Championship qualifier in the women's 800-meter run where she set a school record with a clocking of 2:10.62. In the 2019 Cross Country season, she had a school record fifth place finish at the NSIC Championships as she helped USF to a program-best fourth-place finish. In her first meet of the season at the SDSU DII Invite, Ceglowski highlighted the day for the Cougars as she finished first overall in the women's 3000-meter run with a time of 10:15.00. She beat the second place finisher, MSU runner Ivy Glade (11:09.25), by almost 55 seconds. Her time of 10:15.00 is currently the fastest 3,000-meter time in the NSIC.
 
Women's Team Performances to Date -
After a solid freshman season, sophomore Chloe Peterson, who was named one of USF's "Athletes to Watch," has accumulated a fifth place finish in the long jump at the SDSU Holiday Invite (5.57 meters), a second place finish in the long jump (5.57 meters) and a sixth place finish in the 200 meter dash (26.50) at the MSU Invite, and a third place finish in the long jump at the SDSU DII Invite (5.30 meters).
 
Freshman Carolyn Groerger has produced an impressive start her indoor pole vault season by winning the MSU invite with a finals jump of 3.27 meters. She was also runner up at the SDSU DII Invite by going 3.27 meters. At the SDSU Holiday Invite, she vaulted 3.20 meters and finished 13^th.   
 
Senior sprinter Sarah Troescher has produced a pair of top-eight finishes in the 60 meter dash this season including fifth place (7.85) at the MSU Invite, and a seventh place at the SDSU Holiday Invite (7.77).
 
Sophomore Emma Hertz has put together three straight solid performances in the shot put event as she placed 12^th at the SDSU Holiday Invite (12.93 meters), second at the MSU Invite with a throw of 13.36 meters, and sixth at the SDSU DII Invite with a toss of 13.14 meters.
 
Phillips named NSIC Indoor Athlete of Year; already has a 5K record
For the second straight year, Mason Phillips was selected the NSIC Men's Preseason Indoor Athlete of the Year when the NSIC Coaches Poll was released. Phillips, who set a 5K record in a pre-Christmas meet, had another big cross country season. He finished seventh and earned his second All-American honor as he led USF to a program-best fifth place team finish at the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships. Phillips was the NSIC Indoor Most Valuable Performer a year ago when he set five indoor track records (800, 1,000, mile, 3K, DMR) and won both mile and 3K at the NSIC Championships.
Phillips, who has earned five combined All-American honors in cross country and track and field, has a combined eight NSIC Weekly Athlete of the Week honors in track and field and cross country.  In 2018, he earned All-American honors in the mile and as a member of the Distance Medley Relay.  He set five indoor track records (800, 1,000, mile, 3K, DMR). In his career at USF, he has 16 titles with 15 coming by individual performance in track and field or cross-country. As for the 5K record, Phillips recorded a third-place finish with a school record 5,000-meter run time of 14:17.2 at the Mel Tjeerdsma Open hosted by Northwest Missouri State on Dec. 7. He also finished runner up in the 3,000 meter run (8:34.90) behind teammate Zach Lundberg (8:23.45) at the SDSU DII Invite.
 
Aside from his first place finish at the SDSU DII Invite, junior distance runner Lundberg also finished in the top-five at the Mel Tjeerdsma Open with the fourth overall time of 14:18.9. Lundberg, who also posted a time that would have passed the previous USF 5,000 meter run time of 14:33.37 held by Bobby Brockmueller, now sits second overall in the record books behind Phillips. Lundberg and Phillips both recorded national qualifying times.
 
Zawadski wins two titles -
Junior pole vaulter Tristan Zawadzki has posted two first overall jumps in his first three indoor meets this season. Zawadzki has taken the top jump in the MSU Invite (4.73 meters), as well as the SDSU DII Invite (4.58 meters) where teammate Connor DeJong trailed just behind Zawadzki in second place with a finals jump of J4.58 meters. At the SDSU Holiday Invite, Zawadzki posted a jump of 4.60 meters which was good for an eighth place finish while DeJong finished in ninth with a jump of 4.45 meters.
 
Just a freshman, Casey Hackett, who was named an "Athlete to Watch" in the preseason, has had a solid start to the season. Hackett captured the long jump title by going 6.75 meters at the MSU invite, and was eighth at the SDSU Holiday Invite (6.46 meters) and seventh at the SDSU DII Invite (6.38 meters).
 
Junior hurdler Jacob Morse continues to produce strong results in the 60 meter hurdles early in the season. Morse posted an eighth place finish (8.58) in the SDSU Holiday Invite. He then claimed the fourth overall time at the MSU Invite (8.48), and most recently ran a time of 8.48 at the SDSU DII Invite, which was good for fifth place.
 
Furgeson earned NSIC Track Athlete of the Week honor earlier this season
Following the opening meet of the indoor season at the SDSU Holiday Invitational, Trey Furgeson was named Men's Track Athlete of the Week by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference on Dec. 4.
 
A fifth-year senior from Tea, S.D., Furgeson recorded a standout time in the men's 400-meter dash recording a personal-best time of 49.27 seconds. He finished fourth overall in this event as the top Division II runner and moved up to No. 2 in USF's all-time top 10 list. Furgeson's time ranked as the 14th best in NCAA Division II this season, as well as the best overall time in the NSIC. Following his athlete of the week honor, Furgeson claimed the 600 meter title with a time of 1:21.55 at the MSU Invite.
 
Leading the Pride
Doug Petersen is in his second season (fifth overall at USF) as Director of the University of Sioux Falls Track and Field/Cross Country Program.
 
Peterson brings a strong pedigree to the director's position as he has had success with the USF Men's and Women's Cross Country Team over the past three years, serving as head coach of the cross country program beginning in February of 2016 and assisted with the distance student-athletes in track and field since 2014-15. Before coming to USF, he had a Hall of Fame coaching career with Adrian High School in Minnesota. This fall, he became the first USF Men's cross country head coach to be named the NSIC Men's Coach of the Year.
 
Petersen took over a track and field/cross country program that has had significant success in its five-year period in NCAA DII. Most recently, the USF Men's Track and Field team recorded program-best second place finishes at the NSIC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2017. The men's team had a program-best ninth place finish at the 2017 NCAA DII Championships. In NCAA DII, USF Track and Field/Cross Country has had four national individual champions, including three since 2015, at the NCAA DII level along with 36 All-Americans, 33 NSIC individual champions, three Elite 90 Award recipients, more than 100 All-NSIC honorees, and 239 Academic All-NSIC selections.