Track & Field | 12/21/2020 2:23:00 PM
NSIC Men's Release
NSIC Women's Release
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Minnesota State University Moorhead senior Nadir Yusuf has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, the league announced on Monday. Yusuf is the first Dragon athlete to earn the honor in the 2020-21 athletic year.
The Dragon men were picked to finish fourth in the NSIC indoor preseason poll while the Dragon women were picked to finish 13th.
Yusuf has two NSIC championships in his track career. He won the 3K indoors last year and finished second in the 5K. He is the school record holder in the indoor 5K as well. A Willmar High School graduate, Yusuf was NSIC Outdoor Champion in the 5K in 2019 and was an All-American in his cross country career.
Junior Chris Cook is a three-time All-American in the high jump and won the NSIC indoor and outdoor title in the event in 2019. Sophomore Shyrone Kemp was the 2020 NSIC Indoor Newcomer of the Year after winning the triple jump and finishing third in the high jump and long jump. He is the MSUM school record holder in the triple jump. Junior sprinters Ty Dawkins and Shaquiel Higgs will also look to be factors while the Dragons will also look for contributions from its distance running group.
The MSUM women's indoor track and field team will be led by seniors Rachel Schumacher and Anna St. Catherine. Schumacher, a transfer from Minnesota State, was a three-time All-NSIC honoree in the high jump and also was a national qualifier in the event at MSU. St. Catherine is a two-time All-NSIC honoree in the pole vault. Junior Anna Steadland will look to be a factor in the sprints while sophomore Lakyla Yazzie will be a factor in the distance events. The Dragons also have 12 freshmen looking to make an immediate contribution this season as well.
