When one thinks of successful runners, thoughts usually turn to a more seasoned, experienced athlete.
With freshman Annie Pfeifle, though, this is not the case.
Pfeifle, a distance runner from Rapid City, is one of the newest additions to the Augustana cross country and track teams. She joins the team this season to replace a seasoned crew of athletes that have graduated.
Pfeifle is already making waves this sea- son after she led the team by winning the mile run with a time of 5:10.84 at the Ted Nelson Classic, an early showing of how the Northern Sun Intercollegiate College (NSIC) track and field season may turn out.
Pfeifle also led the team in the 3,000-meter run, placing first with a time of 10:23.53. Pfeifle was followed shortly afterward by fellow teammates freshman Kyle Blakeslee, senior Alyssa Anderson, senior Jillian Tholen and freshman Leah Hansen, who each finished in the top six spots of the race.
Pfeifle traces her running roots back to the days of junior high school, where she developed an intense love of running by running with friends.
Pfeifle said that it was with these friends that she first realized that she loved to run. "I was part of a group of three friends that really got me started in running," Pfeifle said. "I trained with these girls nearly every day, and we pushed each other every day to run as best as we could. It even got to the point that if one of us didn't show up, then we would wonder where they were."
When she isn't on the track, you can usually find Pfeifle in one of two places. Pfeifle is a chemistry major who spends much of her time in the Gilbert Science Center.
When she isn't learning the periodic table of elements or learning the weight of isotopes, one can usually find her hanging out with her roommate and living the average college life. Pfeifle says that her freshman year has been tremendous so far, and that she has been fortunate enough to get along with her roommate.
"My roommate is from Wisconsin, and it is funny because the distance to Rapid City is about the same distance to her hometown," Pfeifle said. "We get along great, though, and I love it here at Augustana."
Pfeifle says that the decision to come to Augustana was one of the best ones that she has ever made, and the fact that she has found success on the track makes it even better.
"I chose to come to Augustana because everything just seemed like it felt right," Pfeifle said. "I really liked the program that Tracy has built, Augustana has a great reputation for academics, and it just seemed like the place I wanted to be to run."
Pfeifle says that she's looking forward to the season ahead and has set some im- portant goals for herself. She says that she would like to focus in the short-term on improving her times in each of her individual races, but she always has her eyes set on the future as well.
"I would love to try and get qualified for the regional meet or the national meet sometime when I am here at Augustana," Pfeifle said. "I want to be able to do my best and make sure that I can just run the best."
One important thing that Pfeifle faces before each race is herself.
"I tend to psych myself out a lot before each race, but one thing that I have found while running here in college though is the fact that I can really get into a race now, more so than I ever could in high school," Pfeifle said.
Look for Pfeifle and the other Augustana harriers to be in action this weekend as they travel to the University of Minnesota.
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