STORM LAKE, Iowa (Jan. 16, 2026) - The Buena Vista indoor track & field teams will officially begin their respective indoor seasons this Saturday (Jan. 17) at the Scott Nisley Memorial Classic, hosted by Doane University.

Both teams got a taste of their upcoming season when they took part in the SDSU Holiday Open, hosted by South Dakota State back on Dec. 5. At that tune-up, junior Megan Bakke turned in the second-fastest time all-time in the women's 3,000m run at 10:35.12. BVU had multiple individuals on the men's side post marks that were just outside of moving into the program's top-10 list all-time.

On the women's side, it will be a small but mighty roster for first-year head coach Ty Hoover. Bakke will look to help lead the way in the mid-distance and distance events and is one of only three upperclassmen currently on the roster. The lone senior is Karley Ruiz-Genovese who came on strong at last season's outdoor conference championships by setting a personal best times during both the 800m. Junior Payton Schermerhorn will look to anchor and lead the way in the throwing events. She notched a new personal best back in December at SDSU.

The Beaver men will have a much younger squad this season with 12 freshman making up the majority of the roster. The team will have only five seniors and a pair of juniors. Among those returning who have a plethora of experience on the track in their careers are Easton Hayes who will be among the leaders in sprints and in the long jump.

Live action for Saturday's opener at Doane can be viewed and followed at:  www.gpacnetwork.com/doane (video) and https://doaneathletics.com/links/mpfz5f (results)

Following this weekend's official 2026 opener, the Beaver teams are right back on the track next Saturday, Jan. 24, to host the annual Dennis Young Classic. The Beavers head to Grinnell for two of the next three weekends to compete in both the Grinnell College Invite (Jan. 31) and the Darren Young Classic (Feb. 13). The American Rivers Conference Indoor Championships are set for Feb. 27-28 and hosted by Luther College in Decorah.