Women's Track and Field Roster

Birgen Nelson

Year: Sophomore
What events are you in?: Sprints and Hurdles; Track and Field
Where did you go to high school?: Edina High School
Where is your hometown?: Edina, MN
Tell me about your family (siblings, are any of your family members current/previous Gusties?): “I have two siblings (Nikolaus and Annika), my mom (Mary) and my dad (Jeff). My great aunt and uncle met while attending Gustavus!”
What volunteering or community service have you done in and/or out of college?: “Leadership Board for the Red Cross Club at Edina High School 2018-19, 100 hours volunteering as a Tutor.”
What other extracurricular activities, clubs, or organizations are you a part of?: Student Senate, Ignite, Greek Tutor
Have you been a part of any movements that work for social justice or change? What are you passionate about?: “Yes, I have attended many protests for Black Lives Matter. I am a very passionate Feminist and I am very interested in politics and human rights issues. I am also passionate about animal rights and environmental issues. I have been vegan for six years because of that and have been vegetarian since I was three (by my own volition.)”
Tell me about any high school athletic and academic achievements or awards that you have earned: “Academic All State for Track, Letter winner for Track and Field, Letter winner for Competitive Cheerleading, Presidential Award for Academic Excellence, National Finalist for Competitive Cheerleading, State Champion and State Runner-up for Competitive Cheerleading, Honor Roll, Edina Scholar with Distinction Award, Edina Scholar Athlete, Captain of Park Flyers Track and Field Team.”
Tell me about your college academic and athletic achievements that you have earned . (Captain, All-American, all-conference, academic all-conference, etc, and include year): 2020 USTFCCCA All-Academic, 2020 NCAA Indoor All-American, 2020 2x Indoor All-Conference, 2020 2x Indoor Conference Honorable Mention, 2020 Letter Winner, 60mH School Record, Dean's List
Why did you choose Gustavus?: “I chose Gustavus because of the opportunities it would give me to succeed as both a student and an athlete.”
In your opinion what makes the Gustavus cross country/track and field programs different from other colleges? “The coaches make all the difference. This program cares about both the mental and physical well-being of their athletes and they focus on a holistic approach to improving us as athletes. The coaches and team are also really fun to be around because we all like to joke around while working hard!”