Track & Field | 1/14/2021 4:11:00 PM

BURNSVILLE, MINN. – The University of Sioux Falls Indoor Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams will open the season by competing at the Wayne State College Indoor Classic on Saturday, Jan. 16 in Wayne, Neb.

USF Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams have both been projected to finish seventh in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, according to a preseason coaches poll. Student-athletes in throws, jumps, sprints and distance events will compete for the first time in more than 10 months.

The meet, hosted by WSC, will be held at the Recreation Center in Wayne, Neb. Field events are set to start at 11 am with the running schedule to begin at 2:30 pm. WSC's meet is a quad involving NSIC schools WSC, USF, Augustana and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member Chadron State. 

Led by USF Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Doug Petersen, the Cougars return experience in the sprints, distance, throws and jumps and will use that to try and better their projected finish at the NSIC Championships which is set for Feb. 26-27 at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn. The USF Men's Team was sixth a year ago with 55 points. As for the USF Women, they placed eighth with 34 points at the 2020 Indoor Championships.

NSIC Poll Breakdown - In the Women's Track and Field Coaches Poll, the three-time defending NSIC Champions of the University of Mary were picked to win the NSIC. The Marauders received 10 first place votes and tallied 191 points, ranking them ahead of the Minnesota State University, Mankato (179) and Augustana (179) that tied for second. The Cougars earned 104 ballot points in being picked seventh. As for the Men's Poll, the nine-time defending NSIC Champions of Minnesota State University, Mankato were picked to win the NSIC. The Mavericks received 10 first place votes and tallied 120 points, ranking them ahead of Augustana, which was second with 112 points and the other two place votes. USF Men earned 110 points in the 2020-21 poll.

?USF Women's Preview – The USF Women's Team will be led by a pair of All-Americans in NSIC Track Athlete to Watch KaNya Henderson and NSIC Field Athlete to Watch senior thrower Emma Herz.

Henderson, a two-time Academic All-NSIC performer from Utica, Miss., was All-American in 2020 after registering a school record 7.55 in the 60-meter prelims (fourth overall) at the NSIC Championships a year ago.

USF should be strong in the throws with the return of Hertz of Sioux Falls, S.D., who earned her second All-American honor a year ago and had a best of 14.75 meters (48-4 ¾) in the shot put. Hertz, who has 25 top-3 finishes and 13 career titles, also earned second team NCAA DII Indoor All-American honors in 2018-19. She is joined in the throws by senior Kayla Andersen.

The Cougars will also look to senior Emily Olson, who finished a personal-best fifth (3,157 points) in the pentathlon at the NSIC Indoor Championships a year ago. Another student-athlete who will be a key contributor indoor is Carolyn Bradley, a two-time Academic All-NSIC performer who was eighth in the pole vault at the NSIC indoors a year ago. She has won three individual pole vault titles.

USF will also look for strong performances from sprinters Mercy Oyadare and sophomore Jailah Brice-Moore, who will add strength in the 60-meter hurdles, 60-meter dash and relays. Oyadare, a four-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, has 31 career top-eight finishes. She was part of USF's 6th place DMR a year ago at the NSIC Meet and contributor in 3 top-time all-time performances at USF.

USF Men's Preview -- USF will be led by a solid group in the sprints, jumps, throws and middle and long distance. The Cougars will be led in the throws by NSIC Field Athlete to Watch Patrick Hagan, a senior, who was sixth in the weight throw and had a top-10 finish in the shot put at the NSIC Championships in 2019. Another team leader will be USF's Track Athlete to Watch Logan Hansen, an eight-time Academic All-NSIC performer, was a member of USF's winning distance medley relay at the NSIC Indoor Championships and placed in the top 11 in three events at those same championships.?

USF will also receive contributions from junior sprinter Nate Andrusick, who was Academic All-NSIC a year ago and placed 11th at the NSIC Championships in the 60-meters. Eight times he placed in the sprints in the top-eight a year ago.

USF will also have strength in the mid-long distance races from David Ecker and Aaron Voigt. Ecker is a six-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honoree who has finished in the top-eight 10 times with an individual title. He and Voigt, a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, were members of the 2018 NSIC Men's XC championship team. Voigt has one relay title and eight times finished in top-eight in mid-distance events. And, Steven Miner, who had three top-eight finishes and was 11th at the NSIC Indoor Championships in the high jump a year ago, will also add strength to the squad.

The 2020-21 NSIC indoor track & field season gets underway in January with the regular season culminating on Friday-Saturday, February 26-27 at the NSIC Championship held at Myers Fieldhouse in Mankato, Minnesota, hosted by Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Cougars will open the season on Jan. 16 at the Wayne State College Invite. For USF's schedule, click here.