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Amanda & Ashley -
Amanda -
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Anyone associated with track and field in southwest Minnesota undoubtedly knows who identical twin sisters, Amanda and Ashley Overgaauw are, as the Murray County Central athletes have been forces to be reckoned with for quite a few years.
The Overgaauw twins started their running careers in seventh grade, competing in both cross country and track and field.
Fast forward five years and the dynamic duo is looking to solidify their high school running legacy as they get set to compete for gold at the 2023 Minnesota State Class A Track and Field Meet Thursday (June 8th) and Friday (June 9th). “It feels really nice to be going back to state,” Amanda said. “All of our hard work has paid off for this season. It would be fun to win, but I’m just really excited to have one more chance to race as a Rebel.”
The twins qualified for the state meet in two events apiece, with Amanda winning the 3200-meter run (11:15.44) and finishing second in the 1600 run (5:18.85) and Ashley taking first in the 1600 run (5:18.80) and placing second in the 800 run (2:22.23) at the Section 3A meet last week.
“Our goal in the 1600 at sections was to get one, two, to get to state together,” Ashley said.
“But I think at state, it’ll be like who can sprint to the line the best.”
Ashley Overgaauw said the 1600 run has always been her favorite race — that passion was sparked during her elementary school years when students were required to run the mile during physical education class. “I always thought that was super fun, so I was going to do that in high school,” she said. “I like that it’s not too short and it’s not too long. I like the four laps.”
The 3200 run is Amanda Overgaauw’s favorite race, though she also frequently competes in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays as well. “I didn’t run it my junior high years,” she said. “I tried it the very first time my sophomore year and just fell in love with it. It’s hard to come back from the two mile for the 4x4, but it’s fun (to be part of the 4x400).”
Amanda first qualified for the state cross country meet as a freshman and for the state track and field meet as a sophomore, in the 3200 run and the 4x800 relay. She currently holds the MCC school record in both — individually in the 3200 run (10:50) and as a teammate with Ashley, Brylei Schreier and Sophia Nelson in the 4x800 relay (9:36.93). “I ran close to that at Hamline (Elite Meet) — I ran 10:52 — but I’m hoping to PR at state,” Amanda said.
Ashley was also a freshman when she advanced to state cross country for the first time.
And like her sister, her first state track appearance took place when she was a sophomore. “We qualified in the 4x800,” she said. “I was close (to qualifying) in the two mile. I hurt my hip that year. I’ve been dealing with my hip for the past two years, but it’s been getting better, I think. This is the first year I feel like I’m actually coming back from it a little bit.”
Ashley currently holds the school record in the 1600 run (5:11). She and her sister were also teammates on the record-setting distance medley relay (400-400-800-1600), which they won in 9:49.92 with Schreier and Megan Bakke at the Rebel Relays on May 4.
Amanda will participate in the 3200 run final at 6:26 p.m. “My goal is that they enjoy this last state meet and compete at a level that they can be proud of,” Rebel Coach Dominick Damm said. “I think they have goals to race for state championships. I feel like the two of them will be at that or near the front of all their races. They are ranked near the front for all the races they are competing in, though the state meet is always full of surprises, and you never know who might have the best day of their lives.”
On Friday, the Overgaauws will both compete in the 1600 run scheduled for 5:21 p.m. “I got second last year, so it would be really cool to get first or second in the two mile,” Amanda Overgaauw said. “I’m hoping to get my school record in the two mile. Then for the mile, it’s only going to be my third time running the mile this year, so top five would be really cool. I’ll be racing Ashley in the mile. It’ll be fun.”
If Ashley qualifies for the 800 run final — the top two finishers in both preliminary heats qualify along with the next five best times — she would compete in that race at 6:29 p.m. on Friday. “Last year, I went (to state) in the 800 and I won the prelim race up there,” Ashley said. “I made it to finals and got ninth. It’s a faster race. It’s one of the most competitive races I run.”
Brookelyn Kuechle of Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball came into state with the top qualifying time (2:19.57) in the 800. Jade Rypkema of Nevis holds the top qualifying time (4:55.42) in the 1600, while Amanda advanced with the top time (11:15.44) in the 3200.
No matter what happens at the state meet, the twins have trained hard and have respectfully represented their team, school and community well. They also have plans to compete collegiately. “I have enjoyed watching them come out of their shells, as they have been interviewed a lot over the years,” Damm said. “I see a lot of similarities between them and Morgan Gehl, a former teammate. The twins got to see how she handled the success and publicity that came with it. The girls are not boisterous or loud, and they lead by example and attitude.”
Having an identical twin certainly has its benefits. They shared that they run together nearly every day. “I think we really push each other to try to be the best we can become,” Amanda said. “We also support each other no matter what. She’s like my built-in best friend as well as my twin.”
The sisters, daughters of Jason and Stacey Overgaauw, said they get along really well and don’t really fight over anything. They also have a lot of the same friends and same hobbies, though they admit there are several differences in food preferences. In some regards, they are like mirror images of each other. Ashley is right handed and Amanda is left handed. And they both snicker the same way when asked if they are competitive with each other. “We’re competitive, but then we’re teammates, too,” Ashley said.
One thing that has been constant in their lives is their dedication to running. It was Ashley who was originally determined to compete in cross country in seventh grade. Amanda wasn’t going to do cross country, but she went to the eligibility meeting with her sister anyway. There, the mom of a cross country runner encouraged Amanda to try the sport. “She was like, ‘it’s only a mile,’” Amanda said. “I thought that would be fun. Ashley was sad I joined at first, but then eventually we were happy I did. It’s something we both love now. It’s fun.”
As they grew, so did the distance in cross country — the varsity 5K race is 3.1 miles — and their competitiveness level as well. “The twins have been very easy to coach, as they both go above and beyond in their training and workouts,” Damm said. “The girls have made great improvement over the years I have been their coach. They have been breaking records and winning races since their ninth grade seasons.”
Training in the off-season has boosted their success. The summer after their seventhgrade year, the twins took part in different community events, including Balaton’s Fun Run. A few years later, the twins stepped up their commitment to their running career. “The year of COVID, when our track season got canceled, we went out every day and ran throughout the whole summer,” Ashley said. “That was the first summer we actually took it seriously, and we’ve been training ever since — through the winter and throughout the summer. We also started lifting weights our junior year.”
Fortunately, the Overgaauw twins haven’t had major setbacks with injuries. Ashley has been able to compete at a high level despite her hip issue, and Amanda only struggled with minor injuries for a short time this year and in eighth grade. That’s a good thing since they are both highly competitive. “I just fell in love with the sport really young,” Ashley said. “It’s a lot of fun to do. I enjoy it so much. I just love hanging out with friends and just the running part of it.”
With such passion, it was an easy decision for the twins to make when it came to whether or not to continue their running careers in college. Eventually, they chose Augustana College, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I’ve always wanted to go on to college and compete collegiately,” Ashley said. “It was really hard to make the decision on where. I had too many offers. I had a box full of letters. But I like that Augustana is close to home and the coach there is really cool.”
Amanda agreed, noting that she’s happy she and her sister are moving to the next level together. “The coach is a lot like Mr. Damm, so that was a very big factor in my decision,” Amanda said. “I also like the teammates. I ran with a couple of them in high school, so that’s fun. I’m really excited to go on to the next level.”
