MINOT, N.D. – Senior Peyton Tuhy and sophomore Brayan Augustin both earned podium finishes for the Minot State men's track and field team, leading the way during the indoor season, and both are poised to do the same this outdoor season.

While competition begins this weekend for the Beaver men's outdoor track and field team at the Marauders Outdoor Opener, the NSIC announced its 2026 NSIC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll and Athletes to Watch for each team, on Thursday, to get the season officially underway.

Tuhy, a senior middle-distance runner from Hettinger, North Dakota, who earned All-NSIC honors finishing 2^nd in the 1,000 meters last month at the NSIC Indoor Track & Field Championships, was named Minot State's Track Athlete to Watch for the outdoor season.

"Peyton is a blue-collar kid! He just knows how to work," Minot State's first-year head coach Erik Stevens said. "He has a lot ahead of him, even though this is his last season. He has taken some great things out of his indoor season, and I know he will put those lessons into practice as we attack the outdoor campaign."

Augustin, a sophomore from Punta Gorda, Florida, who also is a cornerback for the Minot State football team and who placed 8^th in the long jump at last month's NSIC Indoor Championships, was honored as the Beavers' Field Athlete to Watch for the outdoor season.

"Brayan is an explosive talent: he has the ability to pop a big mark at any given point in a competition," Stevens said. "He is a gamer: going into the indoor long jump competition, he was sitting at 18th and did what he is capable of to make a final and finish on the podium."

Tuhy and Augustin lead the way for a Minot State men's track and field team picked to finish 11^th at the NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held May 7-9, hosted by Minnesota Duluth.

"The progress of this group is the exciting part of this team," Stevens said. "I have only been here a short time but have seen solid progress. We are smaller in numbers right now, but I feel this group is doing some good things to help with that charge moving forward."

The Beavers open the season this Saturday at the Marauders Outdoor Opener hosted by the University of Mary, then start a busy four weekends of competition in April with another meet hosted by Mary in Bismarck, the Al Bortke Open, on April 3-4, as the race to the NSIC Championships hits full stride.

Minnesota State, Mankato was picked as the team to beat at the NSIC Outdoor Championships as the defending and 13-time champion Mavericks were picked repeat, once again, with 11 first-place votes and 121 points.

Mary was picked as the No. 2 team by the coaches with 102 points, and Minnesota State Moorhead was a close 3^rd with 100 points and 1 first-place vote.

Augustana was picked 4^th with 93 points, Northern State was 5^th with 81 points, Sioux Falls was 6^th with 71 points, Wayne State was 7^th with 61 points, Minnesota Duluth was 8^th with 58 points, Concordia-St. Paul was 9^th with 42 points, Southwest Minnesota State was 10^th with 27 points, and Minot State and Jamestown tied for 11^th in the poll, each with 18 points.

The NSIC also named its Preseason Athletes of the Year, with Minnesota State Moorhead junior Jared Gregoire being named Preseason Track Athlete of the Year, and Minnesota State, Mankato sophomore Hayden Bills being named Preseason Field Athlete of the Year.

Gregoire won the 2025 NSIC Cross Country individual title and was 5^th at the NCAA Indoor Championship in the mile earlier this month, earning All-American honors.
Bills was the NSIC 2025-26 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and the NSIC Champion in the indoor shot put last month.
 

2026 NSIC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll

RANK	TEAM	POINTS
1	Minnesota State, Mankato (11)	121
2	Mary	102
3	Minnesota State Moorhead (1)	100
4	Augustana	93
5	Northern State	81
6	Sioux Falls	71
7	Wayne State	61
8	Minnesota Duluth	58
9	Concordia-St. Paul	42
10	Southwest Minnesota State	27
t11	Jamestown	18
t11	Minot State	18