BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its Women's Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Poll on Thursday and four-time defending champion Minnesota State (14 first place votes) was selected to finish first with 196 points. UMary (183), Augustana (155), Winona State (152) and Minnesota Duluth (145) rounded out the top five.
"We are looking forward to improving on our fifth-place finish at the Indoor National Championships," said head coach
Mike Turgeon. "Our women's team wants to build on our late-season indoor success as we come off our sixth straight year finishing in the top five in the nation."
For the Mavericks, senior
Miranda Lauvstad (Nesoeya, Norway) was chosen as women's outdoor field preseason athlete of the year. Lauvstad posted a historic indoor season, as the top point scorer at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. Lauvstad won the national title in long jump and finished second in pentathlon for multiple First Team All-America honors. Her pentathlon score of 4,348 ranked third in Division II history.
"Miranda put together one of the most impressive indoor seasons in school history," said Turgeon. "She is coming off a national championship in the long jump and a national runner-up finish in the pentathlon. Miranda finished the season with school records in both events, along with the second-farthest long jump and the third-best pentathlon score in NCAA Division II history."
Junior
Esaba Okwaramoi (Urbandale, Iowa) was named MSU's athlete to watch in track. Okwaramoi earned Second Team All-America honors during indoor season in 60 meter hurdles with a 16
th place mark at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She won the event at the NSIC Championships with a personal best time of 8.32 in the finals.
"Esaba improved drastically during the indoor season, and we are looking forward to seeing what she can put together during the outdoor season."
Minnesota State women's outdoor track and field begins with competition at the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis, Missouri March 26-27. The NSIC Outdoor Championships take place May 7-9 at James S. Malosky Stadium on the campus of University of Minnesota Duluth.
| Rank |
Team (First Place Votes) |
Pts. |
| 1. |
Minnesota State (14) |
196 |
| 2. |
UMary (1) |
183 |
| 3. |
Augustana |
155 |
| 4. |
Winona State |
152 |
| 5. |
Minnesota Duluth |
145 |
| 6. |
Northern State |
131 |
| 7. |
Sioux Falls |
121 |
| 8. |
Wayne State |
117 |
| 9. |
Concordia-St. Paul |
89 |
| 10. |
MSU Moorhead |
81 |
| 11. |
Bemidji State |
57 |
| 12. |
St. Cloud State |
46 |
| 13. |
Jamestown |
45 |
| 14. |
Minot State |
32 |
| 15. |
Southwest Minnesota State |
25 |
