NAPERVILLE, Ill./LA CROSSE, Wis. – Twelve members of the St. Olaf College men's and women's track and field teams competed at a pair of last chance qualifiers – the Gregory Invitational at North Central College (Ill.) and the UW-La Crosse NCAA Final Qualifier – on Wednesday and Thursday.

The meets served as the final chances for NCAA Division III student-athletes to improve their times/marks for the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held May 23-25 in Geneva, Ohio.

At North Central, senior Eli Knutson posted the third-best decathlon score in program history (6,480) to secure his spot at next week's national meet. Knutson won the pole vault (4.50m, 14' 9") and finished second in the shot put (11.88m, 38' 11.75"), javelin throw (47.37m, 155' 5") and 1,500-meter run (4:40.14). The senior recorded personal bests in the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, pole vault and 1,500-meter run to finish third in the standings.

Junior Mackenzie Schoustra, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) champion in the event, competed in the heptathlon, placing third with a personal-best score of 4,440 to move up one spot to fourth on St. Olaf's all-time list in the event. Schoustra's top finish of the day was a second-place showing in the high jump (1.59m, 5' 2.5"). She was third in the javelin throw (33.96m, 111' 5") and fourth in the long jump (4.96m, 16' 3.25") and 800-meter run (2:29.99).

Knutson's score currently ranks 15th in the country, while Schoustra's is 25th. The top 20 men and top 22 women in each event qualify for the national meet. Schoustra could still qualify if some of the athletes on the list ahead of her decide to compete in other events than the heptathlon.

Juniors Lisa Fisher and Johanna Glaaser, also the MIAC champions in their respective events, finished third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (11:21.38) and 400-meter dash (57.46). Glaaser's time in the 400 was a new personal record.

At UW-La Crosse, four Ole men ran the 5,000-meter run, with juniors Chris Brenk (15:21.51) and Elliot Kadrofske (15:26.25) finishing 1-2 in the standings. Senior Thomas Lerdall placed sixth (15:39.78) and classmate Andrew Plumb was 10th (16:05.91).

Senior Justin Furcich finished 12th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:13.97) and junior Benjamin Scott placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles (54.91). Senior Nathan Kurtz-Enko recorded a seventh-place showing in the shot put (15.69m, 51' 5.75").

Senior Daisy Richmond was the lone member of the women's team to compete in La Crosse. She came in eighth in the 5,000-meter run (19:47.82).

The official full list of qualifiers for the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be announced via a press release on NCAA.com by 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 18. Junior Sean Lonergan has also qualified in the 1,500-meter run, as he holds the 18th-best time in the country.