The University of Minnesota Duluth men's and women's indoor track teams will compete in the 2024 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday in Mankato, Minn. inside the Myers Fieldhouse on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Events begin on Friday at 9:30 a.m. with heptathlon events followed by field events at noon and track events at 1 p.m.  Saturday has a 9 a.m. pentathlon start followed by heptathlon events at 9:45 a.m.  Field finals begin at 1 p.m. followed by track finals at 1:30 p.m.  

The championship will have 14 women's teams and 11 men's teams competing, and all-conference performers shall consist of the top-three place winners in each event and the members of the top two relay teams from the meet.

MEET PREVIEW: The preseason polls for the indoor season had both the men's and women's teams picked to finish 6th. After a full indoor season, the following athletes appear to be positioned well for a successful weekend.

Starting on the men's side, senior Austin Antony will be racing in both the 3000 meters and the 5000 meters where he is ranked fifth and third in the NSIC respectively. 

"Austin has just progressed a lot over the past two years. He's just put in a ton of work and it's kind of all culminated to this moment; this weekend at Conference," said UMD track and field assistant coach Brette Jensen. "I'm excited to see what he will be able to throw down in a competitive field, and for what awaits him this weekend."  

Senior Eli Bicek will also look to capitalize on what head coach Karly Brautigam has called his "breakout season."

 "I think it's the season that we all saw coming," said Brautigam. 

The NSIC Conference rankings have Bicek sitting at second in shot put, and third in the weight throw. Bicek has also thrown provisional marks in both events, ranking him 28th for shot put and 30th in weight throw nationally. 

Brautigam is optimistic about national opportunities for Bicek, praising him for his work ethic and consistency. 

"I think Eli is set up this year to make a huge splash at the conference meet," Brautigam concluded. 

Sophomore Will Heydt is also looking to jump to a podium finish this weekend, as his provisionally qualifying mark of 14.64 meters in the triple jump has him ranked sixth in the NSIC. 

"Will is a special athlete, I realized that from the moment he walked on this campus," said Brautigam of Heydt. 

She credited his combination of talent and commitment to his early success in his college career. 

"He has an ability level that I think is impressive, but he is such a grinder. He works hard. He shows up every day," she said. "I know we'll be seeing him on podiums and at national meets a lot in the future." 

Fifth-year senior Kayce Gielski has also thrown herself to provisional status this season, with her mark of 17.28 placing her second in the conference rankings.  

"She has gone from not knowing if she can throw again to being the second ranked thrower in an incredibly competitive conference and a provisional qualifier," Brautigam said of the fifth year. "Kayce has really committed on a different level this year and has really figured out the formula she needs to be successful. I couldn't be happier for her." 

Jacqi Rae is another athlete doing big things with her fifth year. She is currently ranked fifth in the shot put and sixth in the pentathlon, the latter of which she holds a provisional score. 

Although Rae is a veteran Bulldog athlete, she only recently committed fully to the multi-events category. "It's such a leap of faith for someone so far into their career to take on something as huge as the pentathlon and the heptathlon," said Brautigam . 

Brautigam credited Rae's coachability and her ability to pick up so quickly on technically advanced events such as the hurdles and high jump as big contributors to Rae's performance this season. She also praised Rae for her commitment to the student athlete lifestyle and her work in figuring out the mental aspect of competing. 

"I think Jacqi is primed to have the best multi-meet of her career so far," she said. 

One runner poised to make a podium run Saturday will be junior Savannah Schley, who currently ranks second in the 800 meter in the NSIC and 21st in the NCAA. Schley, who will also run in the DMR and 4x4 relay, has high praise from both Brautigam and Jensen.

"Savannah is a special athlete," said Brautigam. "She is very talented and has the dedication and commitment to the sport while having fun and enjoying the process that you would want in any athlete" 

Jensen added, "I'm excited to see how she fares in a competitive environment and where it will take her grit and metal toughness this season. I think she's grown a lot and that will take her to new heights this weekend." 

The weekend's events will be available to stream through the NSIC network for a fee -- click here to watch. Follow live results here.