Francom Wins, Six Jacks Enter First Outdoor Marks

Friday, March 16

Emporia, KS

Noon

South Dakota State University

Emporia State University Spring Open

3/16/2018 10:40:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Results: Tulsa Duals - Day 1 Results: ESU Spring Open 2018 Tulsa Duals Preview - Day 2

Francom highlights the pole vault competition as he wins his fifth career meet at the Tulsa Duals; Kasie Vollmer records third, Dakota Leonhard places 15th at the ESU Spring Open

The South Dakota State track and field teams started the outdoor season with a couple Jackrabbits throwing at the Emporia State Spring Open and a few more competing in the pole vault at the Tulsa Duals.

ESU Spring Open
EMPORIA, Kan. - Junior Kasie Vollmer and sophomore Dakota Leonhard traveled to ESU to compete in the discus and javelin throw on Friday afternoon.

Discus Throw
3. Kasie Vollmer (146-02.00)

Vollmer recorded her first official discus throw in the 2018 outdoor campaign. It was her second-best throw to start a season (threw 147-02.00 at the start of the 2016 outdoor, Vance Butler Invite) and first time competing at the ESU Spring Open.

It's Vollmer's seventh time finishing in the top three of the event for her career. She was 1-02.00 feet away from the winner (Tyra Bickham, Wichita State) and one foot from the runner up (Rebecca Finley, UMKC). There were a total of 39 student-athletes competing in the event.

The Savage, Minn. native, is coming off of a strong indoor season where she competed in the shot put throughout the season, including a 10th-place finish at The Summit League Indoor Championships. She posted the school's eighth-best throw all-time in the event.

She was named one of SDSU's preseason athletes to watch by The Summit League this outdoor season. She has the school record in the discus throw, which she set last year at the NCAA West Prelims (173-11.00).

Javelin Throw
15. Dakota Leonhard (175-08.00)

Leonhard notched a 15th-place finish in his first outdoor competition. There were 37 competitors in the event. It is his fifth career throw in the event at South Dakota State.

The Fredericksburg, Pa. native, is coming off of an indoor season where he competed in five shot put event and a season-best toss of 47-09.00.

Last year, the sophomore broke the school record in his second career meet, throwing the javelin 195-04.00 and finishing in the top-three at every meet, including two wins. He was not able to compete in last year's outdoor championships due to injury.

Leonhard and Vollmer were the only Jackrabbits at the ESU Spring Open, which concluded Friday night.

Tulsa Duals - Day 1 of 2
TULSA, Okla. - One the first day of the Tulsa Duals, the Jackrabbits had four pole vaulters starting the competition against two Big XII schools and two Summit League schools.

Most of the Jackrabbit squad will continue competition tomorrow, with field events starting at 10 a.m. and track events beginning at 1 p.m. (Click Here: More information on day two of the Tulsa Duals)

Pole Vault - Men
T-1. Trent Francom (15-05.00)
-- Brendan Branick (No Height)
-- Anthony Andera (No Height)

Freshman Trent Francom recorded his first career outdoor collegiate mark in the pole vault. After tying for first tonight, he has now placed first in five meets between indoor and outdoor, and finished in the top-three of the event in seven of the nine meets.

The Huron, S.D. native, record a spectacular indoor season, finishing fourth in The Summit League Indoor Championships with his personal-best mark and tied the indoor school record (16-06.75) with his brother, Reagan Francom, and Lynn Olson.

Francom is 7.75 inches away from cracking the school's outdoor top 10.

Only two vaulters recorded marks in the event out of six total competitiors. Junior Brandan Branick (13-11.25) and sophomore Anthony Andera (14-05.25) missed their opening marks.

Branick has an outdoor personal-best of 14-05.25 he set in the 2017 outdoor season. His indoor campaign was highlighted by a season-best jump at the SDSU Last Chance, finishing fourth (14-07.25). His indoor PR is 15-01.00 from the 2016 season.

Andera posted his outdoor career-best in the pole vault at the beginning of the 2017 outdoor season, winning the SMSU Mustang Open and posting 14-11.00 unattached.

During his 2018 indoor season, the Aberdeen, S.D. native, vaulted his personal-best in the first meet with a height of 15-07.00. The mark is tied for 10th all-time on the school's indoor list.

Pole Vault - Women
8. Amy Muller (9-04.25)

Freshman Amy Muller notched her first outdoor pole vault of her collegiate career, sixth overall meet she's competed in. She finished eighth out of 10 competitors.

Muller has an indoor personal-best of 11-00.25, which ranks seventh on SDSU's top 10 indoor marks. She is 1-06.00 away from tying the 10th-best outdoor mark in school history.

Up Next
The rest of the Jackrabbits will compete tomorrow at the Tulsa Duals against Big XII and Summit League schools. The rest of the field events start at 10 a.m. and the track events begin at 1 p.m.

Stay up-to-date with all the performances tomorrow by following the Jackrabbit track and field Twitter page and check back on GoJacks.com to see the full recap tomorrow evening.

CLICK HERE: See more information on day two of the Tulsa Duals.

Social Media
For more information on the South Dakota State cross country and track and field teams, follow the Jackrabbits on Twitter (@GoJacksTFXC) and Instagram (@GoJacksTFXC), and like us on Facebook (/GoJacksTFXC).

-GoJacks.com-