TRACK SET FOR TWO WEEKEND MEETS

Friday, April 22

Vermillion, SD

TBA

South Dakota State University

USD Invitational

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

4/20/2022 3:14:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE TRACK AND FIELD

What/Where/When	South Dakota Challenge \| Lillibridge Track Complex \| Vermillion, SD 5 p.m. on Thursday, 2:30 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday Red Wolf Open \| Arkansas State University Track Facility \| Jonesboro, AR 3 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday
TV	South Dakota Challenge
Results	South Dakota Challenge \| Red Wolf Open
Meet Notes	See Below \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram

South Dakota State will head to competitions at the University of South Dakota and Arkansas State over the weekend with hopes to avoid bad weather while improving season marks.

The South Dakota Challenge in Vermillion kicks off Thursday evening at 5 p.m. with action returning Friday at 2:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. The Red Wolf Open in Jonesboro, AR starts Friday at 3 p.m. and resumes Saturday morning at 10 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Trips to the LA region and the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota saw a multitude of personal bests and top 10 finishes from the South Dakota State track teams over the past three days of competition.

The Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, CA was a hot spot for Jackrabbit success, highlighted by several additions to the SDSU record books.

Cerington Jones finished 19^th overall in the 400-meter dash in a personal best 55.84 seconds. Her time is now tied for the second fastest mark in school history.

Jessica Christoffer grabbed a PR in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:10.51, as Claire Beckman and Jaide Geurts each earned outdoor PRs in 2:12.90 and 2:13.81, respectively.

Cailee Peterson earned a personal best in the 1500-meter run with a blazing 4:19.10 performance for 24^th place, improving her to second best all time. Christoffer also earned a PR in 4:25.10 for the fifth best mark.

Beckman won her heat and grabbed a PR in the 1500-meter run with a 4:33.00 as Tori Glazier also earns a PR in 4:35.82.

In the final women's 1500-meter event of the evening, Geurts finished 13^th overall in 4:45.51 for a personal best.

Leah Hansen solidified her spot in the history with a 16:16.46 finish in the 5000-meter run, now the second fastest time in program history.

In men's competition, Emmanual Phoulom-Smith finishes seventh in the 400-meter hurdles in 52.85 seconds for a personal best and the fifth best mark in school history.

Daniel Burkhalter now sits fourth on the all-time list with his 1:49.86 finish in the 800-meter run while Tom Breuckman (1:51.62) and Carter Knaus (1:53.42) earned personal bests.

Burkhalter also earned a PR in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:42.44, now tied for second on the all-time list.

More personal bests for the SDSU men in the 1500-meter run came for Josh Becker (3:51.50), Knaus (3:52.21), Gabe Peters (3:53.16), Michael Schwinghamer (3:54.50), Ben Anteau (3:54.50) and Lucas Caminiti (3:58.22).

Max Selbach finished fifth in his section of the 5000-meter run with a personal best time of 14:15.69. Peters also earned a PR in 14:18.95

At the Mt. SAC Relays, Oksana Johnson finished fifth in the 800-meter run in 2:07.15.

Riley Bauer took 10^th overall in the 800-meter run with a personal best time of 1:49.02, now the second best mark in school history.

At the Pacific Coast Invite, Pierre Lear sped his way into second overall in the 110-meter hurdles (14.19 seconds) for a PR and the second best mark in school history.

Phoulom-Smith also took fifth in the 400-meter hurdles in 54.01 seconds.

In women's competition, Collette Wolfe grabbed a PR in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.80 seconds.

Wolfe also finished third overall in the 100-meter dash in 12.03 seconds while teammate Rich-Ann Archer finished ninth in 12.31 seconds.

Jones then earned an outdoor personal best in the 400-meter dash in 56.60 seconds while Lauren Van Dyke finished 11^th in 57.96 seconds.

On Wednesday in Minneapolis, the Jackrabbit throwers left their mark on the Tomcat Invite with stellar performances.

In women's action, all seven SDSU competitors placed in the top 12 of the discus throw, led by a top three sweep from Faith Leiseth (154-05.00), Mildred Young (137-02.00) and Kennedy Morris (135-05.00). Marianne Robin took seventh (127-10.00), True Thorne finished ninth (124-11.00), Meghan Hettinga earned 11^th (119-03.00) and Kaley Waldemar was 12^th (115-07.00).

Naomi Wynn finished fourth in the hammer throw with a distance of 154-06.00 while Robin grabbed eighth place with a throw of 150-02.00.

Hettinga led four Jacks to top 10 finishes as runner-up in the shot put with a throw of 42-09.50. Young took eighth (38-01.25), Thorne was ninth (37-10.75) and Wynn finished 10^th (37-06.00).

Success continued on the men's side of competition, led by Dominick Etherington's runner-up finish in the shot put with a throw of 54-01.00 as Dawson Schroeder claimed third with his throw of 49-02.25.

Each also competed in the hammer throw and again placed in the top ten. Hunter Wallster took fifth with a distance of 181-03.00 for a PR and the ninth farthest mark in school history. Schroeder finished eighth (166-08.00), Bryce Ludwig grabbed ninth (165-09.00) and Etherington was 10^th for a PR (165-06.00).

Finally, Austin Eppard finished fifth in the discus throw with a distance of 146-07.00 as Ludwig took 11^th with a throw of 135-06.00).

PIERZINSKI HONORED BY SUMMIT LEAGUE: South Dakota State' Reid Pierzinski has been named the TicketSmarter Summit League Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week, league officials announced April 12th.

Pierzinski won the 400m hurdles in a time career-best time of 51.18. His winning time broke the SDSU school record in the event and moved up to the top mark in the league this season. The Nisswa, Minn. native's winning time ranks 23^rd nationally in the event. He also ran a leg of the 4x100m relay team that took second with a time of 41.59.

Pierzinski joins Riley Bauer as Jackrabbits recognized with the accolade so far this season.

REGIONAL RANKINGS: The fourth Division I outdoor track and field rankings of the season determined by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association were announced earlier this week with the Jackrabbit men maintained their spot at No. 19 in the Midwest Region as the SDSU women dropped to 19^th place.

SDSU MEN PICKED FIRST, WOMEN THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL: After winning the Summit League indoor title a month ago, the South Dakota State men's track and field team has been tabbed as the favorite during the outdoor season by the slimmest of margins in a vote among the league's coaches.
2022 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
1. South Dakota State (2) – 32
2. South Dakota (2) – 31
3. North Dakota State (3) – 30
4. Oral Roberts – 18
5. St. Thomas – 13
6. North Dakota – 12
7. Western Illinois – 11
2022 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
1. South Dakota (6) – 47
2. North Dakota State (2) – 44
3. South Dakota State – 38
4. Oral Roberts – 29
5. North Dakota – 26
6. St. Thomas – 19
7. Western Illinois – 12
8. Omaha – 9
The Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for May 12-14 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

ATHLETES TO WATCH: Four Jackrabbits — two men and two women — were recognized as Summit League Athletes to Watch.
Trent Francom, South Dakota State
Jr. | Pole Vault | Huron, S.D.

Earned a trip to the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships after placing second in the West Prelims with a mark of 17-10.50 (5.45m)
Finished third at the 2021 Summit League Outdoor Championships with a vault of 18-00.50 (5.50m)
Set a personal-best and school-record mark in the pole vault at the USD Early Bird meet with a mark of 18-04.75 (5.61m)

Ben Olson, South Dakota State
So. | Distance | Coon Rapids, Minn.

Finished third in both the 5000m (14:36.68) and the 10,000m (30:28.44) at the 2021 Summit League Outdoor Championships
Clocked a personal-best time of 14:13.97 to take ninth in the 5000m at the 2021 Joe Walker Invitational
Turned in a fifth-place finish in the 10,000m at the 2021 Drake Relays with a personal-best time of 29:43.87

Leah Hansen, South Dakota State
Fr. | Distance | Willmar, Minn.

Earned a trip to the 2021 NCAA West Prelims in both the 5000m and the 10,000m
Won both the 5000m (16:54.60) and the 10,000m (35:37.00) at the 2021 Summit League Outdoor Championships
Won the 10,000m (34:03.30) at the 2021 Drake Relays

Faith Leiseth, South Dakota State
So. | Throws | Hayti, S.D.

Threw an outdoor personal-best of 47-11 (14.60m) in the shot put at the 2021 South Dakota Challenge, ranking fifth all-time at SDSU
Notched a personal record in the discus of 165-3 (50.37m) at the 2021 South Dakota Tune-Up, ranking fifth all-time in program history
Finished fourth in the discus and 13^th in the shot put at the 2021 Summit League Outdoor Championships

UP NEXT: SDSU will head to Iowa for the Drake Relays on April 28-30 while also sending competitors to the Rock Chalk Invitational in Lawrence, Kansas on April 30.

-GoJacks.com-