BURNSVILLE, Minn. --- The nine-time defending NSIC Champion Minnesota State men's track and field team has been picked to finish first in the NSIC Preseason Men's Outdoor Track and Field Coaches' Poll.

The Mavericks received 11 first-place votes and 121 points to lockdown the top spot in the poll. Augustana was slated in the second spot receiving one first place vote and 110 points, while MSU Moorhead rounded out the top-three with 92 points.

Shaheed Hickman, a senior from Minneapolis, Minn., has been named MSU's Track Athlete to Watch. Last season, Hickman earned All-American honors after finishing seventh in the 100m at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 10.48. Hickman took the top-spot in the 200m at the with a career best 21.22 at the 2021 NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Meet. Hickman was a part of the 4x100 team that won the NSIC championship in 2021, the team is seventh in school history with a time of 40.72.

Carson Dittel, a junior from Maplewood, Minn., has been named the Mavericks Field Athlete to Watch. Dittel is the returning NSIC Outdoor pole vault champion with a height of 16' 2.5'' (4.94m). During this year's indoor season Dittel set a career best mark of 16' 8" (5.08m) at the Mark Miller Invite on his way to All-NSIC honors with a second-place finish at the 2022 NSIC Indoor Championships. Dittel is coming off a 14th place finish at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships and is currently fourth all-time in school history in the pole vault with his career best mark.

Minnesota State begins its outdoor season on March 25-26 at the Wildcat Outdoor Classic in Wayne, Neb.



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