The Evergreen State College Track & Field programs had two student-athletes, sophomore Alauna Carstens, and junior River Scheuerell, compete at the NAIA National Track & Field National Championships from May 22 – 24 in Marion, Indiana, held at the Indiana Wesleyan University. This was the first time Evergreen has qualified student-athletes for outdoor track & field nationals since 2017, when Associate Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Zeb Hoffman qualified and placed 4^th in the Men's Hammer. 

Highlighting the National Championships were several excellent performances. Freshman Alauna Carstens won her 5,000-meter prelim heat, with a 73 second last lap, to qualify for the finals. This is the first time an evergreen athlete has qualified for the 5,000-meter run ever at nationals. During the finals, Alauna secured her 2^nd all-American honors as a Geoduck with a 7^th place finish in the 5,000-meter final! Previously, Carstens was an NAIA Cross Country all-American in fall.  

Also at the national championships was River Scheuerell, competing in the 5,000-meter Racewalk! River qualified for the NAIA National meet by winning both racewalks at the Jim Bean Memorial Race Walk and the CCC Championships in school record times. River was DQ'd during partway through his race; the event is very technical and has several judges around the track to ensure strict adherence to the form is kept. 

"We are so fortunate to have a race walker qualify in their first year of trying the walk. Getting disqualified is an unfortunate possibility of racing at high level meets, but it also gives opportunity to refine technique and try again," said Assistant Coach Katie Burnett. "I've been DQ'd before and it's incredibly frustrating when it happens, but those failures drove me to be an even better athlete. I would never have achieved American records or made World Championships if I had let those DQ's define me."

Carsten's 7^th place all-American finish scored her 2 points in the meet. Those points helped Evergreen place 53^rd at the National Championships, beating CCC rivals Eastern Oregon University (1 point), Multnomah (1 point), and Northwest, Corban, Bushnell, who didn't score.

"What an incredible National Championships for the Geoducks!" Stated Head Coach Joel Pearson. "Having two student-athletes represent the college at nationals, with one winning her prelim heat before being an All-American…. I am just so proud, honored, thrilled, excited, and pumped for our future!"

The Geoducks conclude their 2023-2024 Track & Field Campaign and look forward to the 2024-2025 Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field Seasons!

2024 NAIA National Championship Entries
Women's 5,000m Finals: 7^th, Alauna Carstens, 17:43.21 (All-American)
Women's 5,000m Prelims: 1^st, Alauna Carstens, 17:42.98 
Men's 5,000m RW: River Scheuerell, NT