ST. PAUL, Minn. – Highlighted by a new school record in the men's indoor mile run from Mohammed Bati (SO, Dodola, Ethiopia, GAP School), the Augsburg University men's and women's track and field teams opened up the 2024 season on Friday afternoon among NCAA Division I, II, and III competition at the St. Thomas Invitational.

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
• Bati wasted no time etching his name in the Auggie record books yet another time, clocking a time of 4:17.30 in the mile run and shattering the previous school record set by Matthew Schafer in 2011 by more than three seconds. Bati's time ranks first among Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference competitors so far this season and sits ninth in all of NCAA Division III.
• Making his collegiate debut, Zinabu Engstrom (FY, Colorado Springs, Colo./Coronado HS) finished 12^th in the mile run with a time of 4:47.30. Henry Nelson (SO, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) was just behind him with a time of 4:53.91.
• Bereket Wondimu (SR, Eagan, Minn./Burnsville HS) also had a solid first outing of 2024 for the Auggies, winning the men's 800-meter run with a time of 2:10.19.

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS
• Allison Hookom (SO, Andover, Minn./Anoka HS) picked up right where she left off last season, finishing second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.06. Hookom also competed in the 60-meter dash for the first time in her collegiate career, clocking a time of 8.33 seconds to finish 15^th.
• Gracie Johnson (SR, Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing HS) competed in the mile run, placing 12^th with a time of 5:39.53.
• Annabel Lantz (JR, Afton, Minn./Stillwater Area HS) rounded out the Auggie women competing in the meet with a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash, posting a 1:15.87 clocking.

UP NEXT
• The Auggies will compete at the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic hosted by Macalester College next Saturday, January 19 with events beginning at 9:30 am.