May 19, 2000

South Dakota men's and women's track and field team will take 16 individuals to the NCAA Division II National Championships at Raleigh, N.C. on May 25-27. The men's team, fresh off their first North Central Conference outdoor track and field title in 35 years, has qualified 11 individuals in 12 events. The qualifiers include junior sprinter Tom Green (100 meters, 200 meters, 4X100 meter relay) of Hornick, Iowa, Jason Probasco (10,000 meters) of Woodbine, Iowa, Andrew Neugebauer (800 meters, 4x400 meter relay) of Dimock, S.D., Erik Van Laecken (4x400 meter relay) of Parkston, S.D., Garrett Schramm (pole vault) of Utica, S.D., Steve Schmidt (shot put) of White River, S.D., Aaron Dykstra (4x100 meter relay) of Yankton, S.D., Pat Belling (4x100 meter, 4x400 meter relays) and Ryan Finley (4x100 meter, 4x400 meter relays) of Omaha, Neb., and Matt Hoyt (10,000 meter, 5,000 meter, 3,000 meter steeplechase) of Basin, Wyo., Women qualifiers will include Molly Wedel (10,000 meter, 5,000 meter, 3,000 meter) of Spencer Iowa, Sara Deckert (100, 200) of Doland, S.D., Sandy Pelkofer (pole vault) of Rapid City, S.D., Tonya Kneifl (heptathlon, high jump) of Newcastle, Neb., and Mandi Muller (discus) of Schyler, Neb. The Coyote men's team set 10 new school outdoor records and four all-time South Dakota records. Schmidt's toss of set an all-time mark in the shot put (58'9.25). Hoyt, a senior distance runner, set an all-time South Dakota best in the 10,000 meters in 29:24.50 and both the 4x100 (41.05) and 4x200-meter relays (1:25.53) also established new state marks this year. Schmidt heads into the nationals with the second best throw (58'09.25). Hoyt, who was named Thursday (May 18, 2000) the North Central Conference "Outstanding Athlete of the Year," has registered the third best time (14:14.02) in the 5,000 meter run, and the fourth best time in both the 10,000 meters (29:24.80) 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:05.20). Green set individual school records in the 100 (10.41) and 200 (21.13) and anchored the 4x100 relay, which set a school and state record. He has the fourth best time in Division II in the 100 meters and 12th best in the 200-meter dash. Neugebauer, who won the national indoor 800-meter title, has run the sixth fastest time in the 800 meter run (1:49.80). Hofer is seeded eleventh (14.30) in the 110-meter hurdles. South Dakota's 4x100 relay of Dykstra, Belling, Finley and Green has the 10th best time (41.05) while the 4x400 relay of Van Laecken, Belling, Finley, Neugebauer is 12th (3:13.0). Schramm has the ninth best vault in D-II (16'02). Wedel leads the Coyote women who have qualified five student-athletes in nine events. At the nationals, Wedel has the D-II's second best time in 10,000 meters (35:24.40). She also has the 10th best time in the 3K (10:00.27), and 17th best time in the 5K (17:29.58). Deckert comes into nationals with the fourth best time in the 200 meter dash (23.95) and is ranked fifth in the 100-meter dash (11.86). Pelkofer has the eighth best pole vault (11'06.25) while Kneifl is seeded fourth in the heptathlon (4,982 points) and seventh in the high jump (5'08.75). Muller is seeded 10th with a throw of 157'02.