JACKS SET TO HOST SDSU OPEN

Friday, January 31

Brookings, S.D.

3:00 p.m.

South Dakota State University

SDSU Open Meet

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

1/30/2025 11:48:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

By: BECCA BALL

BROOKINGS, S.D. — South Dakota State is set to welcome nearly 1,000 athletes at its SDSU DII/NAIA Open meet this weekend.

INFORMATION | SCHEDULE

HEAD COACH ROD DEHAVEN

"Coming off last week's Jim Emmerich meet, we plan to continue to build more momentum towards the conference championships. This week, we get a few more individuals back from injury and sickness so that should give us a better picture of the overall depth of the team. It will also be a weekend where some athletes will focus on different events from their normal routine. It should be a great weekend."

ATHLETES TO WATCH

Brielle Dixon will be back in action this weekend in the 60-meter race and the 60-meter hurdles. Dixon currently holds the school record for the 60-hurdles at 8.30. Last time out, Dixon finished first in the 60-hurdles with a time of 8.48. Last year, Dixon placed second in the conference with a 60-hurdles time of 7.55. Later in the outdoor season, Dixon earned a spot at the NCAA West First Round and finished 36th in the 100-meter hurdles.

Grace Waage will be one to watch this weekend as well. Waage saw her season debut last weekend, where she finished fourth in the 3000-meter race with a time of 9:42.39, the seventh-fastest time in program history. Waage will be making her debut in the 1000-meter race this weekend.

Milee Young made her mark in SDSU's top-10 all-time list in the weight throw. At the Jim Emmerich Alumni meet, Young finished fourth with a throw of 59-00.75 (18.00m), the seventh-best mark in program history. Last year, Young made All-Summit League in the spring and took ninth in weight throw at the conference indoor track and field championships.

Ethan Fischer will be a thrower to watch on the men's side. Last time out, Fischer took fourth in weight throw with a mark 60-07.25 (18.47m). The junior had a fantastic season last year as he qualified for the NCAA West First Round in discus last spring where he finished 24th in the preliminaries with a mark of 158-09 (48.38m).

Caiden Fredrick also had a great outing at the Emmerich meet. Fredrick made his mark in SDSU's top-10 list with a weight throw mark of 64-09.25 (19.74m), the fifth-best throw in program history. Fredrick's mark landed him runner-up in the event. Last season, Fredrick took bronze in weight throw and made All-Summit League in discus last spring.

Jackson Dutcher made his season debut in the mile last weekend. Jackson Dutcher secured silver with a time of 4:08.24, the second-fastest time in the league so far this season.

LAST TIME OUT

The Jackrabbits had a phenomenal performance at the Jim Emmerich Alumni Meet as 11 student-athletes won their events. Jaiden Boomsma won the 60-meter race with a time of 7.66, before finishing runner-up in the long jump with a mark of 18-07.25 (5.67m).

Jenna Johnson placed in the top five with a new personal record in the 400-meter race. Johnson clocked a time of 56.67, the ninth-fastest 400-meter time in program history.

Over at high jump, Madison Kizer secured gold with a jump of 5-07.00 (1.70m). Cadence Nuttbrock competed in the high jump alongside Kizer. Nuttbrock secured her second-best mark at 5-03.00 (1.60m) to finish fourth.

Lindsey Rotz continues to impress as the freshman won the 1000-meter race with a time of 2:55.36. Rotz's incredible performance landed her the third-fastest time in program history. Claire Beckman finished not long after Rotz to place runner-up. Beckman's time of 2:56.59 placed her fourth in SDSU's top 10 all-time list. Hannah Spoden crossed the line in fourth with a time of 2:57.89. Spoden's time was the sixth-fastest in program history.

The distance team made its mark on the top ten all-time list in the 3000-meter race. Waage finished fourth with a time of 9:42.39, the seventh-fastest time in program history. Jessica Lutmer captured a top-five finish in her first outing of the season. Lutmer crossed the line at 9:45.11 to take the ninth-fastest time in program history. Courtney Stadter cruised in behind Lutmer in sixth. Stadter clocked a time of 9:49.34 to take tenth on the top 10 all-time list in her first track meet as a Jackrabbit.

On the men's side, Rylan McDonnell took gold in long jump with a leap of 22-03.50 (6.79m), while Brett Fraker finished fourth with a mark of 21-04.75 (6.52m). Fraker went on to win the triple jump with a personal record of 44-00.00 (13.41m).

The throwers had a wonderful performance in weight throw as three Jackrabbits found their mark in the top five. Hunter Wallster won the event with a throw of 65-07.00 (19.99m), his second-best mark. Fredrick finished runner-up with a new personal record of 64-09.25 (19.74m), the fifth-best throw in program history. Fischer rounded out the Jackrabbit lineup in fourth with a mark of 60-07.25 (18.47m).

Sam Castle clocked a personal record in the 800-meter race to finish fourth in the field. Castle crossed the line at 1:51.85, the eighth-fastest time in program history.

Carson Noecker opened his season with a personal record in the 3000-meter race. Noecker crossed the line at 8:16.47 to finish runner-up.

The men's 4x400-meter team had a stellar run to close out the meet. Reggie Slaba, Castle, Colton Manock, and Gunnar Gunderson captured silver with a combined time of 3:16.91, the fastest time in the league so far this year.

RANKINGS

USTFCCCA released its conference and regional rankings on Tuesday. The Jackrabbit men were ranked third in the Summit League and 16th in the Midwest region, while the women were placed fourth in the conference and 22nd in the region.

-GoJacks.com-