DECORAH, Iowa — Most of the Gustavus men's and women's track & field team started their outdoor season strong Saturday in the cold conditions of the Norse Invite, hosted by Luther College.

The Gusties started the day with a dominant showing in the men's 10,000-meter, as Evan Pouliot and Soren Sackreiter finished first and second, respectively. Nick Brauer continued his standout season in the 1500-meter, capturing first place in 3:59.99. Carson Roehl followed closely behind, taking second in 4:05.59. On the women's side, Kailyn Walukas placed fourth in the 1500-meter with a time of 4:58.50.

In the sprints and hurdles, Laura Thauvin and Emily Podulke went three-four in the 100-meter hurdles, clocking times of 15.78 and 15.99. Lauren Rocheford added a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, running 1:10.35. Megan Geraets led the women in the 400-meter, taking second overall in 58.80, while Cohen Stursa paced the men with a time of 51.49.

Both 4x400-meter relay squads capped off the day with runner-up finishes. The men's team of Tyler Heil, Sam Schulze, Tennessee Fossen, and Cohen Stursa ran 3:30.49, while the women's team of McKenzie Luetmer, Isabel Fynboh, Rocheford, and Geraets finished in 4:16.31.

In the field, Connor McCormick placed third in the javelin with a throw of 44.89 meters. Cole Matetich and Brendan Carlson finished second and fourth in the high jump, clearing 1.90 and 1.85 meters, respectively. Liam Frommelt earned second in the triple jump with a leap of 13.55 meters. Isiah Subah led the Gusties in the long jump with a third-place mark of 6.23 meters.

On the women's side, Geraets delivered one of the top performances of the day, winning the long jump with a distance of 5.67 meters—currently eighth in NCAA Division III. Lili Guy followed in third (5.17 meters) and Sarrah Lindner took fifth (5.00 meters). Guy also captured the triple jump title with a mark of 11.07 meters. Kayla Kajer placed third in the high jump, clearing 1.50 meters, and Alli Graff earned third in the pole vault.

In the discus, Olivia Duncan and Kelly Brennan led the Gusties with third- and fourth-place finishes, throwing 42.67 meters and 39.88 meters, respectively. Brennan also posted a first-place finish with a mark of 47.46m in the hammer throw.

The meet was capped off with a strong team effort, as both the Gustavus men and women placed second overall.
 
"We focused on going through the mental rehearsal as a team and building confidence through quality reps," said Head Coach Aaron Lund. "The group is in a great spot heading into next week."
 
The Gusties will travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to compete at the Bethel Invitation next week.