SAINT PETER, MN — Gustavus Track and Field has been in full swing in their outdoor season. This past Saturday, Gustavus hosted the Drake Alternative Relays, which featured some great performances for our Gusties. Unfortunately, we lost one of our own athletes to a debilitating leg injury.

Finn Nelson, a junior hurdler, took a tumble on his last hurdle and broke his tibia. Unable to finish the race, head track coach David Birroli went out to meet his athlete. As a previous horse racer, he knew there was nothing more he could do for Finn, and took him out back behind the bleachers and put him down.

“It’s a shame to have to lose such a strong, sturdy, dependable athlete. With my past experience in horse racing, it was hard for me to see this happen on our own turf, but I knew there was nothing I could do for him except make him comfortable,” Birroli told The Fourth Crown.

After the injury and subsequent euthanizing, the Gustavus Track and Field team has seen considerably better performances and increased injury prevention in the athletic training room. Is there a correlation? Probably.