MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Augustana track and field team sent 22 athletes to the prestigious Jack Johnson Invitational-hosted by the University of Minnesota on Friday and Saturday.

"The coaching staff was very pleased with the performance at the Jack Johnson Invitational," head coach Tracy Hellman said. "There was a number of elite Division I teams and I thought out athletes performed very well on the stage."

Four Viking women teamed up to take the 4x400-meter relay, provisionally qualifying with a time a 3:52.29 for a fourth-place finish, ranked first in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

"Highlighting the performance of the women's 4x400-meter relay of Almarcha [Irene], Anne Parsley, Mescher [Kayla], and Hofmeister [Carina] banked there time to sixth in the nation," Hellman said.

On Friday, Bree Woebler took 11th place in the women's long jump, reaching 5.22 meters (17 feet, 1.50 inches), followed by taking seventh place in the women's high jump clearing 1.68 meters (5 feet, 6 inches) on Saturday.

Kelsey Kaufmann followed Woebler's performance in the high jump with a clearance of 1.64 meters (5 feet, 4.50 inches) for a 14th-place finish. Irene Almarcha finished as the top Viking in the women's 60-meter hurdles taking ninth-place with a time of 8.85.

In the men's 200-meter dash, Justin Greenway finished 12th place clocking a time of 22.75, while taking eighth place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 6.95.  

"Another highlight at Minnesota this weekend was Greenway [Justin] running a 6.95 in the finals of the 60-meter dash," Hellman said.

Ryan Heuer finished eighth in the men's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.33 seconds. Also in the short sprints, Jason Greenway took 13th with a time of 22.81 in the 200-meter dash.

Paul Yak took seventh place in the men's 3000-meter run with a time of 8:33.67, while Keegan Carda placed ninth clocking a time of 8:35.97. Nathan Hauge also competed in the 3000-meter run provisionally qualifying with a time of 8:24.80. In the men's mile run, Paul Yak recorded a new personal-best with a time of 4:22.33 good for a 12th-place finish.

In the women's mile run, Leah Seivert led the way for the Vikings with a time of 5:04.44 for a 13th-place finish. Cassidy Soli took 24th place clocking a time of 5:14.61. Emma Anderson (5:16.08) and Kaitlyn Yoerg (5:16.72) rounded out Augustana, placing 25th and 26th respectively.

"Our distance runners are progressing well as the women in the mile and the men in the 3000-meter run all had season bests," Hellman said. "

In the men's 600-meter run, Zach Tuschen placed 14th with a time of 1:25.28. Chris Sharpe placed 14th, clocking a time of 51.09 in the 400-meter dash. Jeremy Botzet (52.54) and Dylon Van't Hof (53.46) finished 24th and 29th, respectively.

Mason Ford took home a 15th-place finished in the men's high jump, clearing 1.89 meters (6 feet, 2.25 inches). In the women's triple jump, Kirsten Noska tabbed an 11th place finish with a clearance of 10.61 meters (34 feet, 9.75 inches).

The Vikings are back in action next weekend at the Minnesota State-hosted Ted Nelson Classic on Feb. 7 in Mankato, Minn.