Meet the Norwegian Olympian main Utah monitor and area into NCAA championships

SALT LAKE CITY — When Josefine Eriksen was transferring away from Texas-Rio Grande Valley after the 2021 outside monitor and area season, she noticed one thing particular within the College of Utah.

Nevertheless it wasn’t from a campus go to or conversations with any coaches on the cellphone.

“I stalked them on Instagram,” mentioned Eriksen, who will graduate this summer time with a level in household, group and human growth. “However they appeared like a very enjoyable group. It wasn’t at all times about simply working monitor, however being a superb group. I may inform they might have enjoyable — that they had character.”

4 years later, Eriksen has made one thing particular of her time with the Utes.

The senior from Stavern, Norway, will lead Utah into the NCAA outside monitor and area championships in Eugene, Oregon, this weekend, first within the 800 meters after which because the anchor leg of the Utes’ 4×400-meter relay squad.

Eriksen owns the varsity file in each occasions — 2 minutes, 2.49 seconds within the 800 meter outside and a blistering 3:35.00 within the 4×400-meter relay, a file that has been reset 3 times this yr.

These are two of the seven faculty data held by Eriksen, who may also compete within the European Championships for her house nation June 7-12 in Rome, Italy, and as a member of the Norwegian 4×400-meter relay on the Summer season Olympics in Paris. It is the nation’s first Olympic relay workforce since 1920.

Utah sophomore Erin Vringer will debut on the NCAA championships after holding the No. 2 mark all-time within the 1,500 meters, a 4:13.17 mark set on the Pac-12 championships. Utah senior Harley Daniel may also compete within the 400-meter hurdles, along with her spot on the relay workforce.

The 4 occasion qualifiers is essentially the most in program historical past, and the three particular person qualifiers ties the 2023 outside season for essentially the most in Utah monitor and area historical past.

Eriksen is wanting ahead to turning into a multi-sport NCAA qualifier, together with main the primary Utah 4×400-meter relay workforce to the outside championships with teammates Ally Gomm, Bailey Kealamakia and Daniel, with alternates Emily Martin and Chloe Shewell.

That group has performed a key position in Utah’s season, not solely in sending athletes to the NCAA championships for the fifteenth time in head coach Kyle Kepler’s 19 seasons on the helm, but in addition in “elevating the power” from occasion to occasion.

“Even earlier than we begin working, I really feel like we hype one another up,” mentioned Gomm, a senior from Provo. “Loads of groups are extremely targeted earlier than a race, however within the tent, we’re very up and hyping one another up.”

That pairing of power and sport made Eriksen’s switch to Utah seamless — in addition to her match inside a workforce that blends Utah natives with regional standouts and worldwide athletes.

Observe and area is likely one of the most worldwide sports activities, and Kepler has had a minimum of one worldwide athlete on every of his groups throughout a 25-year profession that started at his alma mater, Northern Iowa.

However Eriksen was particular, added Kepler, who recruited the 800-meter runner out of the switch portal even whereas he was hiring a brand new sprints and relays coach in Rebecca Rhodes on the identical time.

“She bought on campus and instantly clicked with the workforce and our workforce along with her,” Kepler mentioned of Eriksen. “You have to lean into change and do the very best with it that you may. We have hit the portal, recruited internationally, domestically, regionally; it is nearly discovering children who match our program, not simply athletically however as people with children who need to be part of one thing greater than themselves.”

For Eriksen, it was a simple group to affix. She instantly reset the varsity file within the 400 meter with a time of 54.01 in her first indoor season with the Utes in 2021-22 earlier than including faculty data within the 200 meters, 600 meters (indoor), 4×100-meter relay, 4×800-meter relay and distance medley relay squads, along with her bread-and-butter occasions of the 800 and 4×400 relay.

“It was very easy to come back to this group. Everybody was so open,” she mentioned. “I’ve by no means been part of a ladies’s-only workforce earlier than; I used to be form of nervous, would there be drama? Nevertheless it was one huge household. We hang around outdoors of the monitor rather a lot. We’re not simply teammates, however we’re buddies.”

NCAA outside monitor and area championships; Eugene, Oregon

College of Utah

• Erin Vringer, So., 1500M
• Josefine Eriksen, Sr., 800M / 4x400M relay
• Harley Daniel, So., 400M hurdles
• Ally Gomm, Sr., 4x400M relay
• Bailey Kealamakia, Sr., 4x400M relay
• Emily Martin, So., 4x400M relay (alternate)
• Chloe Shewell, Jr., 4x400M relay (alternate)