ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Splitting the squads across the weekend, the Augustana Men and Women's Track and Field program competed in three different events the last two days: the Drake Relays, the Kip Janvrin Open and the Augie Alternative.

At the Drake Relays, it was Charlotte Frere and AJ Banks competing against the best in the country across all divisions. Banks, competing in both the 110m and 400m hurdles for the University/College division, took second overall in the 110m with a time of 14.47. He had a false start in the 400m. Frere, competing in the discus in the Championship division, beat out throwers from Missouri and Nebraska to finish 7th with a best throw of 52.00m (170-7). 

Taking part in the Kip Janvrin Open, field athletes Magnus Wells and Laina Nelson competed in the discus throw. Wells also competed in the shot put and posted his best finish in the discus, placing 6th with a mark of 47.51m (155-10). Nelson recorded a best throw of 38.86m (127-06) in the women's competition.

Back home in the friendly confines of Austin E. Knowlton Athletic Complex, the men and women both turned in strong all-around performances at the Augie Alternative, collecting wins, podium finishes, and depth across nearly every event group.

The men were led on the track by Tyreke Fortney, who captured the 100m title in 10.72 after qualifying in 10.90. Darin Pentsil added a pair of standout performances, finishing third in the 100m final (11.08) and second in the 200m (22.25), while John Adeniran placed fourth in the 100m final (11.54). In the hurdles, Elijah Lara continued his strong season with a win in the 400m hurdles (57.36) and a runner-up finish in the 110m hurdles (15.68). Josh Vook and Jin Bloom added scoring depth in the 110H with third and fourth-place finishes in the final, while Chad Robinson contributed a third in the 400H.

In the distance events, Adam Miller controlled the 1500m from start to finish to take the win in 4:00.93, while Jaden Gocken finished fifth. The men's 5000m group dominated the race, sweeping the top five spots with Jose Gomez winning, followed by Christian Haywood, Lukas Nykaza, Peyton Sand, and Mitch Dolynchuk. Ben Milner and Tyler Weber added scoring finishes in the 800m, placing second and fourth respectively.

In the field, Ben Kama-Kama claimed the high jump title at 1.90m. Luke Smith finished second in the long jump, while Saad Moukhlis added a second in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump. Evyn Carreño placed second in the shot put, and Landon Wierenga added a pair of podium finishes in the throws, taking third in both the discus and hammer.

In the relays, the men's 4x400m group picked up three scoring finishes. The A squad of Mohamed Benbrahim, Daniel Prochaska, Ryan Schmidgall, and Bryce Jackson finished second in 3:23.01, followed by the B squad of Adam Miller, Milo McLeer, Ben Milner, and Tyler Weber in fourth, and the E squad of Diego Gomez, Chad Robinson, Ky'Rel Clay, and John Adeniran in fifth. 

On the women's side, Natalie Steva led the sprint group with a third-place finish in the 100m final (13.26) after a strong prelim showing, while Leila Sifford added a third-place finish in the 200m (26.30). In the 400m, Marie Weber placed second (59.41), and Luniah Gilford secured a win in the 400m hurdles (1:08.09). In the 800m and 1500m, Laia Luque finished third in the 800m, while Norah Wright led a sweep of the 1500m with a victory, followed by Frida Martinez in third and Sammy Lehr in fourth. Elizabeth Lawton added another win in the 5000m.

The women also cruised through the field events, led by Frere, who won the discus (54.30m) and added second-place finishes in both the hammer and shot put. Amelia Miller contributed a second in the hammer and javelin, while Rhiannon Marshall claimed the high jump title. In the jumps, Khaliah Knox won the long jump and added a third in the triple jump, while Sifford also picked up a third in the long jump and a win in the triple jump.

In the relays, the Vikings were dominant. The 4x100m team of Cora Deemer, Bridget Hecker, Jordyn Van Santen, and Sifford won in 49.45, while the 4x400m group went 1–2, as the B squad of Norah Wright, Sammy Lehr, Frida Martinez, and Ryan Jednachowski took the win in 4:23.54, followed by the C squad of Luniah Gilford, Liz Hayes, Riley Kulaga, and Giorgia Felicita in second.

Both programs are at it again May 1-2 at the CCIW Outdoor Championships in Kenosha, Wis.