BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The South Dakota men's 800 free relay finished ninth at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Nationals on Friday in Buffalo, N.Y.

The South Dakota men sit in eighth place with 138 points and the Coyote women are 16th with 45 points heading into the final day of competition on Saturday.

The 800 free relay had a clocking of 6:53.25. The squad included John Murman of Lincoln, Neb.; Matt Lind of Kearney, Neb.; Alex Smith of Houston, Texas; and Charles Scribner of Hastings, Neb. The squad earned honorable mention All-American honors.

ALso for the men's team, Dirk Craft of Palmer, Alaska, was 19th in the prelims of the 100 breast, recording the sixth best time in school history of 58.44. ALso in the prelims, Tim Byers of Billings, Mont., finished 26th with a time of 52.50 which is the fourth best time in USD school history. Neither Craft nor Byers advanced to the finals.

For the women, the USD 800 free relay had a clocking of 7:57.94 and finished 13th. The team, which earned honorable mention All-American honors, consisted of Audrey Donley of Arvada, Colo.; Abby Heinz of Sgt. Bluff, Iowa; Karen Burke of Carson City, Nev.; and Kari Kopecky of Roosevelt, Minn.

Lindsey Schafer of Mandan, N.D., was 14th in the 3-meter diving competition with 272.65 points. She earned honorable mention All-American honors.