SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Augsburg University men's and women's track and field teams opened up the 2023 outdoor season on Saturday, competing among NCAA Division I, II, and III participants at the Ross and Sharon Irwin Invitational hosted on the campus of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California.  

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
• Mohammed Bati (FY, Dodola, Ethiopia, GAP School) took third place in the 5000-meter run, shattering the Augsburg school record with a time of 14:32.98 in his outdoor track and field debut. Bati's time topped the previous record of 14:52.80 set by Michael Tesema in 2013 and was nearly five seconds faster than his personal best indoor 5000-meter time this season.
• Getinat Asfaw (JR, Eagan, Minn./Rosemount HS) placed 18^th in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:01.33, setting a new personal record and shaving more than eight seconds off his time from the same meet last season. His time was the fourth-fastest in Augsburg history. Sakariya Hussien (SR, Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins HS) was just behind him in 21^st, also setting a personal record with a time of 4:02.26, the fifth-fastest clocking in school history.
• Varney Conneh (SR, Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS) placed 18^th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.19 seconds.
• Trajen Clayton (FY) finished 16th in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking the 10th-fastest time in school history at 16.81 seconds. 

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
• Allison Hookom (FY, Andover, Minn./Anoka HS) placed 11^th in the 400-meter dash in her outdoor debut, clocking a time of 59.42 seconds, the fourth-fastest in school history. Hookom also raced in the 200-meter dash, placing 30^th with a time of 26.49 seconds, placing her 10th in program history.
 • Augsburg's record holder in the indoor triple jump, CC Cesare (FY, Crystal, Minn./Armstrong HS) competed in the outdoor triple jump for the first time in her collegiate career, placing 17^th and coming within .04 meters of the outdoor school record with a distance of 10.44 meters.
• Gracie Johnson (FY, Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS) competed in the 5000-meter run, placing 15th with a time of 18:56.97, the third-fastest in school history. 

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will now take a week off before returning to outdoor action at the Hamline Invitational on Saturday, April 1^st.