Cross country opens season strong at Twilight Run

The men’s and women’s cross country teams kicked off their competitive season on the evening of Sept. 5 with the 15th annual Twilight Run. According to the DakotaTiming report, 70 high schools and 29 collegiate programs were in attendance with over 2,500 racers competing across the six levels that ranged from NCAA Division 1 athletes to high school junior varsity members. 

Scott Tanis, who is in his first full year as the head coach of both cross country and track & field, said the Vikings performed well at the Twilight Run.

“One of our biggest hopes for this competition was just to run in groups and stick together as a team,” Tanis said. “A big part of setting the stage for this upcoming season is just getting used to the nerves and the anxiety that comes with it.”

Augustana’s women’s team ran a 5K event and placed third overall out of 26. Senior Tenley Nelson, who closed last season as an All-NSIC runner and competed in the NCAA Championships, finished 20th with a time of 17:58.14.  

“The Augustana Twilight has such a good energy that is brought by all the fans,” Nelson said. “It’s so exciting and unlike anything else we get to experience. The whole course is just packed with spectators.”

The Viking men’s cross country team returns to the races after securing their 14th NSIC title last season. The men’s team ran the 4-mile event and placed second overall. Sophomore Bryant Keller finished with a time of 19:29.09 placing 20th out of a total of 394 athletes.

“Our goal was just to stay together with our team, and I stuck with the front of the pack,” Keller said. “I ended up placing really well too, and I was super excited and happy about that.”

For the fourth consecutive season, the Vikings placed first in the NSIC preseason coach polls. The women’s team earned 10 of the 16 first-place votes, accumulating 217 points. While the men's team also received 10 of the 14 first-place votes and accumulated 165 points. 

Tanis is not new to the Vikings, though, as he has been the assistant coach for seven seasons. 

“There has been a lot of success in this program, and I just want to uphold those same  traditions,” Tanis said. “It’s a real honor and responsibility to be a good steward for this program and uplift as much as I can. It’s just a really exciting opportunity in a program that I care a lot about.”

Both teams will compete at the Wildcat Classic on Sept. 26 in Wayne, Neb.