BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Headlined by preseason men's track athlete of the year Zach Lundberg, the University of Sioux Falls Track and Field programs were picked to finish in the top half of the league, according to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field preseason coaches' poll released Friday afternoon by the league office. The USF men's team was picked fourth and the women's program was tabbed sixth for a second straight year.

 

For the third straight season, USF has had the men's preseason track athlete of the year as Mason Phillips was the back-to-back honoree in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Lundberg, a five-time All-American, and senior Tristan Zawadzki were named USF's preseason men's athletes to watch while junior Taryn Ceglowski and junior indoor All-American Emma Hertz were selected preseason athletes to watch for the USF program.

Doug Petersen enters his third season as the Director of USF Track & Field in his sixth season at USF. After a third place finish (109.50) points at the NSIC Indoor Championships last season. It was the fifth time USF has finished in the top three as an NSIC member. USF finished second in both 2015 and 2017. The USF Women's Team tied a program best with 43.5 points for sixth.  

The eight-time defending NSIC champions Minnesota State were the top choice in the men's 2019-20 poll. They totaled 121 points with U-Mary second at 1-5 following by Augustana at 101 with USF at 90 and Minnesota Duluth rounding out the top five with 80 points.

In the women's preseason poll, U-Mary, the two-time defending champions, were the favorite with 10 first place votes and 190 points. They ranked ahead of MSU, which had four first place votes and 183 points. Augustana was third in the preseason poll with 172 points with Winona State, fourth at 156; Minnesota Duluth, fifth at 131 points and USF, sixth with 119 points.

The NSIC Championship will be held on Feb. 28-29 at Myers Fieldhouse in Mankato, Minn., and hosted by MSU.

Lundberg is coming off back-to-back second team All-American performances in the 1500 meters outdoors (10th, 2018 and 12th, 2019) and has five total All-American honors in track and field. In total, he has six All-NSIC honors in cross country and track and field while receiving the 2017 NSIC Outdoor Newcomer of the Year. He ran on the record-setting indoor distance medley relay which finish fourth (9:48.74) and first team All-American honors a year ago (2019-20). The squad clocked a 9:48.74 as Lundberg opened the relay with a 3:01.49 split across 1,200 meters. Lundberg led off the race with 3:01.49 split across 1,200 meters.
 

Lundberg, who has participated in six straight national championships in cross country and indoor/outdoor track and field, was part of the 2018 DMR which placed eighth and part of the 2017 DMR which earned second team All-American honors. On USF's outdoor track and field list, he is part of three records and ranks in the top six in five different events. Lundberg, who has competed at five NCAA DII indoor or outdoor track and field nationals, owns 35 top-three finishes and 11 titles.

Zawadzki of San Diego, Calif., won both the indoor and outdoor NSIC pole vault championships in 2018-19. He also qualified for both the NCAA DII Indoor and Outdoor National Championships. Zawadzki won five vault titles indoors a year ago and one of those was the NSIC title in which he claimed his first All-NSIC honor by going 16-8.25, a mark which ranks fifth best all-time at USF.
 

Ceglowski of Salida, Colo., who was named the second-ever USF female NSIC Indoor Track and Field Newcomer of the Year two years ago, is a two-time all-region selection, has set seven women's records and has four indoor All-NSIC track honors. A year ago, she was third in the 1K with a clocking of 2:57.68 and third in the mile at 4:59.47. A two-time Track Athlete to Watch, she has three NSIC Athlete of the Week honors. 

As

a sophomore, Hertz of Sioux Falls, S.D., had a breakout season in 2018-19. She surpassed her own school record with a throw of 49-9.25 at the NCAA DII nationals which gave her second-team All-American honors. Already, the junior has 22 top-three finishes and 12 titles while finishing second nine more times in either the shot put or discus indoors and outdoors. Aside from qualifying for DII nationals in the shot put indoors and the shot put and discus outdoor, she broke three school records last year. 

The USF Track & Field opens the season at the South Dakota State Holiday Open on Friday, Dec. 6 in Brookings, S.D.