SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- As the University of Sioux Falls Cross Country Team is gearing up for the NCAA Central Regionals on Saturday, November 6 in Joplin, Missouri, two team leaders, Aaron and Tianna Voigt, have been adjusting to a new version of life beyond competition and school. 

Tianna and Aaron Voigt are both student-athletes on the USF Cross Country and Track and Field teams, who were recently joined in marriage just over three months ago. Mr. and Mrs. Voigt are not only handling the challenges of being an NCAA DII collegiate athlete but managing academics, keeping up with their mileage, and navigating married life throughout it all. 

While the cross country at USF brought them together, Aaron and Tianna have their own stories which brought them to this point in their lives.

Tianna Wald competed in dancing and basketball before her passion for running hit

The daughter of Jason and Michelle Wald and Raina Heruth, Tianna (Wald) Voigt came to USF from Pelican Rapids, Minn., back in 2018. She was drawn to the small campus and the Christian atmosphere at USF. Since joining the Cougar squad, Tianna has earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is working towards her MBA in Healthcare Management. Aside from being a member of the Cross Country and Track and Field team, Voigt is also a registered nurse at the Avera Behavioral Health Center in Sioux Falls. 

Long before Voigt made her way to USF, she was a little girl who actually wasn't that interested in sports. 

"I wasn't much of an athlete growing up," said Voigt, who is now one of the leaders of the women's cross country team at USF.

"I competed in dance starting at the age of 6 and then I started to play basketball around the age of 9. I was always known for running all over the place and competing well at track and field day in elementary school, but it wasn't until 7th grade when I really got involved in athletics. I signed up to run the mile at the first junior high track meet and I ended up running a 5:55 mile. The varsity coach noticed and brought me up to varsity; I competed at that level for the next six years," she said. 

Since then, Voigt has gone on to become a leader and consistent member of the USF Cross Country and Track teams. Since joining the Cougars in 2018, Voigt has ran personal bests and then continued to beat them again and again. Twice, Voigt has been named to the NSIC All-Academic Team and just recently placed 65th (24:36.25) at the NSIC Cross Country Championships on October 23 in Wayne, Nebraska. 

One of the most special parts of being a part of a collegiate team is the friendships gained and memories created. And, Voigt even found her teammate for life. 

"My teammates at USF are a second family to me. I have met all of my best friends because of this team, and I have even met by husband because of it," said Voigt, who was married to Aaron Voigt in August. 

According to Tianna Voigt, coming back to campus this year as a married couple was quite a new experience for them. 

"Being married and on the same team is definitely interesting. We often get called 'team mom and dad' which is funny. I enjoy being on the same team because it's (running) a hobby that we both enjoy and that we can continue doing together even when we're done at USF," said Voigt, who already works at Avera Health as a registered nurse while working towards her MBA.

"Having him there with me every day pushes me to be a better athlete because he holds me accountable," Tianna Voigt said. "I also strive to be better because Aaron is one of our fastest guys on the team and I want to be like him!" 

Doug Petersen, the Director of the USF Track and Field Cross Country program, is proud of the example the Tianna and Aaron have set as leaders on the team. 

"Both Aaron and Tianna are totally committed to our Cross Country program at USF. They have really improved as runners since their freshmen year and are leaders by example at practice and role models to the younger athletes on the team," said Petersen.

Aaron Voigt is driven by competitive spirit

Aaron Voigt hails from Gregory, South Dakota and joined the Cougar Cross Country Team in 2018. The son of Timothy and Jennifer Voigt, he is working toward a Business Administration degree with hopes to work in marketing or finance after his time at USF. 

 

After a successful running career at Gregory High School, Voigt found his path to Sioux Falls, where he was drawn to USF family atmosphere and well-known Cross Country and Track program. 

"I liked how faith-based the school was, and how friendly everybody seemed," said Voigt, who has been named to the NSIC All-Academic Team and  NSIC Academic Team of Excellence twice, and was a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Recipient. 

Voigt is one of the top runners on the men's team this season, and just recently helped his team to a third-place finish at the NSIC Championships last week. With a time 25:36.77, Voigt finished in a team-best 12th place and received All-NSIC honors. 

"The main drive for my competitive spirit comes from within," said Voigt, who heads to the NCAA Central Regionals this Saturday as he look to help the men's team reach nationals for a sixth time since 2013. "A lot of people care a lot about how other people around them are competing, but that has never motivated me as much as the personal gratification that comes from proving something to yourself. "

Despite the successful season he's had so far, Voigt is still adjusting to his new life, both on and off the course. 

"Being married and on the team is an interesting experience. It can be challenging because sometimes our teammates view us as separate from the team because we are essentially a new family, but we try to remain included within the team as much as possible," said Voigt, who is an officer for USF's Student's Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). 

For Petersen, the Voigts aren't the first married couple on one of his teams but the example they set makes a difference.

"Tianna and Aaron getting married this year is not the first couple on our team to do this. But they certainly provide a unique opportunity for the rest of the team to see how a married couple can have a positive influence with the team," said Petersen. 

"Aaron works hard to influence the culture with the men's team and at the same time Tianna does the same with the ladies. It is truly a blessing to have both Tianna and Aaron at USF and what they have done and continue to do and influence they have on our distance team," Petersen said.

The Voigts started their individual journeys at USF at the same time, but are leaving USF together. 

"With the challenges come good things too though," said Voigt. "On our actual wedding day, we had people make the trip to Sioux Falls from all over, just to celebrate with us. It showed us how much the team cares about what we have and how tight knit of a family we are."