“This has been our best season so far,” he said. “The top teams in the conference are very close. We could run really well and have a shot at first, or we could end up somewhere in the top five.”

Captain Brent Haglund (SR, Fridley, Minn.) leads the Auggies this year, and returns as one of the top runners in the MIAC. Haglund ran a 25:05.6 in the 8,000 meter race at the Jim Drews Invitational, and has finished in the top 15 of every race this season.

Haglund is joined by veterans Victor Sanchez (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) and Shane Wyborny (SR, Detroit Lakes, Minn.), who have both been in Augsburg's top five all season. Sanchez has continued to be one of the Auggies most improved runners, cutting 1:06 off of his first race of the year, while Wyborny has dropped 49 seconds. This has been especially important for the team, Barker said, because of losing Augsburg's third runner from last year.

“Not having Brian Byrnes is a big loss,” Barker said. “But there has been great leadership on this team, and we've had some younger guys really step up. They have pushed the younger guys and helped get them to where they are at.”

Complimenting the three seniors are Ben Rodriguez (SO, Buffalo, Minn.) and newcomer Matt Schafer (FY, New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS), who have both knocked off over a minute and a half on their best times this season.

“Matt has really done well, and has been able to move up into that top five, and Ben's upped his game as well,” Barker said. “Those two combined with our senior leadership is what has put this team in the position it's in now.”

And while the team may be embracing an underdog role, their position is one to make a run at an MIAC title. Of course, for that to happen, certain things would have to go right.

“Just like poker, you need five good ones,” Barker said. “It's going to come down to who can have their top five guys come through for them on that day. If one doesn't, it's going to make a big difference.”