VERMILLION, S.D. - The South Dakota Track and Field Team will attempt to continue its successful season when the Coyotes take a contingent of 14 men's and women's student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene, Texas on May 26-28.

Already this season, the USD women's team has won both the indoor and outdoor NCC team titles. The men's team, which is ranked first in the region and second in the most recent NCAA Division II power rankings, won the 2005 indoor title and finished second at the outdoor meet.

Coyotes Pull Off Triple Crown: South Dakota has pulled off the "triple crown" in women's track and field/cross country in 2004-05. USD has won all three women's track and field or cross country titles this year. The USD women's cross country program began the run with its third straight title last fall. In February, the USD women's track and field team ran away with the indoor meet crown and followed up with the outdoor title this spring. In fact, USD women's track and field teams have won three straight NCC titles (outdoor, 2004; indoor, 2005; outdoor, 2005), including consecutive outdoor crowns. The USD men's team has also tasted significant success this season, winning the NCC Indoor meet in February and taking second at the outdoor conference championships last weekend.

Eight-in-a-row: In track and field, a team that wins three or four consecutive events at a meet is happy. Eight-in-a-row? Well that is the cat's meow and is likely to lead to major success in the team standings at a meet. At the North Central Conference Outdoor Meet, USD women's runners accomplished the rare feat of eight straight events wins and helped the Coyotes rally from a 35-point team deficit to win the meet with 202 team points (Nebraska-Omaha, second 163 points). The eight event wins (in order) by the USD women's team included: 400-meter dash, Steph Gebhart; 100-meter dash, Heidi Muellenberg; 800-meter run, Kassy Laber; 400-meter hurdles, Diana Scott; 200-meter dash, Gebhart; 3,000-meter run, Kaylee Keating; 5,000-meter run, Aimee Nielsen; and the women's 4x400-meter relay (Scott, Muellenberg, Mandi Manning and Meghan Reifenrath).

Coaches Recognized: The track and field/cross country coaches at USD are on quite a roll. Last fall, Rob Kinnunen copped his third straight women's Coach of the Year honor. Then in February, both head men's coach Dave Gottsleben and women's coach Lucky Huber were named NCC Indoor Coaches of the Year. Gottsleben was also named the North Central Men's Indoor Region Coach of the Year (NCAA Division II). Huber, who was the 2004 United States Coaches Association Women's National Coach of the Year in NCAA Division II, was named the 2005 NCC Outdoor Women's Coach of the Year. It is the second consecutive NCC Women's Coach of the Year honor, and ninth overall (indoor and outdoor), that Huber has received in a vote of his fellow league coaches.

Last year at nationals: The South Dakota men's team was 41st at the outdoor nationals a year ago while the Coyote women's team finished 10th with 23 points. Between the men's and women's track and field teams in 2003-04 (counting both indoor and outdoor nationals), USD had 12 All-Americans and two top-10 national finishes.

Notes on Men's National Qualifiers Derek Gearman, a sophomore from Lennox, S.D., will be the only Division II student-athlete to compete in the three jump events (high jump, triple jump, long jump) at the national Division II meet. A two-time All-American, Gearman, who was recently named Academic All-NCC in Track and Field/Cross Country, heads to nationals ranked seventh in the high jump (7'00.25); 15th in the long jump (23'09.25) and fourth in the triple jump (50'03.75). At the NCC Conference Championships May 13-14, Gearman scored 28 points on the strength of individual titles in the long jump (23'06) and triple jump (49'02.25) and a second-place finish in the high jump (6'09.25). Gearman was named the NCC Indoor MVP after winning the long jump (23'04) and the triple jump (48'02) and finishing second in the high jump (7'00.50) at the conference meet in February. His efforts helped the Coyotes win the indoor team crown for the first time since 1999. Gearman picked up two All-American honors at the 2005 NCAA Indoor Division II Nationals, including a fifth-place finish in the high jump (6'9.50) and eighth place in the triple jump (47'08). Gearman won the Godfather's D-II challenge high jump and triple jump titles (49'10.0). Gearman also took second place in the university/college division of the high jump (personal-outdoor best of 7'0.50) at the Drake Relays. Dan Tolsma, a junior from Vermillion, S.D., has had a record-breaking season for the men's track and field team. An honorable mention selection on the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team this spring, Tolsma heads to nationals ranked 15th in the hammer throw (181'10). Last weekend, he finished second in the hammer throw (169'10). He won the weight throw (57'01) in helping USD to the Men's Indoor Team title in February. A converted sprinter, Tolsma has become one of the NCC's top hammer throwers. During the 2005 outdoor track and field season, he has broken the school and the state of South Dakota record in the hammer throw four times. Tolsma, who was named NCC Men's Track and Field Athlete of the Week on April 6, has won hammer throw competitions at the Wayne State Triangular, and the Wildcat Classic. He also finished second in the hammer throw at the Godfather's Division II Challenge, helping the men's team to the team title. Terry Liggins, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., is ranked 16th in NCAA Division II in the 110-meter hurdles (14.39). Liggins helped USD to a second-place finish at the NCC Outdoor Meet last weekend with an individual title in the 110-meter hurdles (14.48) and a third-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles (54.55) while also running on the third-place 4x400-meter relay (3:21.98) which posted a season-best performance. James Jeffery, a senior from Spearfish, S.D., will conclude his Coyote career by participating in the 800-meter run at nationals. Jeffery ranks 16th in the 800-meter run (1:52.26) in Division II. He won the 800-meter title at NCC outdoor meet and won the 500-meter dash (1:05.76) at the NCC indoor meet.

Notes on Women's National Qualifiers Heidi Muellenberg, a sophomore from Redfield, S.D., is a three All-All-American and will compete in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay squad. She is ranked 18th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.02. In the 200-meter dash, she is ranked 21st (24.54). Muellenberg, recently named to the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team, claimed the 100-meter dash title (12.02), finished second in the 200-meter dash (24.54), with both times career-best performances. She also anchored the Coyotes' winning 4x400-meter relay squad (3:54.18). In 2005, she has won 100-meter titles at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays (12.05), Wayne State Triangular (12.41) and the Wildcat Classic (12.14). Muellenberg has earned All-American honors as a member of 4x400-meter relay squads at indoor nationals in 2004 (sixth); outdoor nationals 2004 (sixth) and indoor nationals 2005 (fifth). Steph Gebhart, a sophomore from Elkton, S.D., will compete in the 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay at the Division II nationals. A six-time All-American, Gebhart ranks in the nation's top-seven in both the 200-meter dash (seventh, 24.06) and 400-meter dash (third, 54.08). She earned three All-American honors at the 2005 indoor nationals, including a third-place finish in the 400-meters (55.40) and a sixth-place finish in the 200-meter dash (24.58). She also finished sixth in the 400-meter dash (54.72) at the 2004 indoor nationals. She also has been a member of three 4x400-meter relay squads that have earned All-American honors (2004 indoor nationals; 2004 outdoor nationals; and 2005 indoor nationals). Gebhart, who was recently named to the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team, earned NCC Indoor MVP honors in February after helping the Coyotes to the NCC Indoor team title. She has won the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes at both the NCC Indoor and NCC Outdoor Meets in 2005. At the Howard Wood Dakota Relays on May 7, Gebhart turned in the fastest 400-meters time ever run by a female athlete in the state of South Dakota. In claiming the 400-meter title, Gebhart clocked a 54.08, which broke USD's school record (Steph Knight, Mitchell, S.D., 1998) and set a state of South Dakota mark. In addition, Gebhart is part of the 4x400-meter relay team that ranks ninth in Division II. Gebhart has picked up two NCC Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors this spring. Kassy Laber, a junior from Parkston, S.D., will compete in the 800-meter run and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay. Laber, who was recently named to the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team, will join teammate Amber Stoltenburg in the 800-meter competition at nationals. A four-time All-American, Laber enters the competition ranked 11th (2:12.39). She was a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that finished sixth at the NCAA Indoor nationals in 2004 and also earned All-American honors (sixth) on the 4x400-meter relay at the 2003 indoor nationals. Laber was eighth in the 800-meter run (2:13.72) and was a member of the 4x400-meter relay that was fifth at nationals (3:47.21) in the 2005 indoor nationals. Amber Stoltenburg, a senior from Elkton, S.D., will also compete in the 800-meter run and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay. Stoltenburg, who was recently named honorable mention on the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team, ranks 17th nationally in the 800-meter run (2:13.31). Earlier this year, Stoltenburg set an NCC record in winning the women's 500-meter run in 1:15.65 (broke 1985 record of 1:16.32) at the 2005 Indoor NCC Championships. She also won the unseeded 800-meter title (2:13.65) at the Kansas Relays this spring and also had several top placings at the NCC Outdoor meet. Meghan Reifenrath, a junior from Rock Rapids, Iowa, will head to nationals as part of the ninth-ranked 4x400-meter relay (3:46.53). She was recently named to the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team as an honorable mention selection. Reifenrath won the 400-meters (1:00.26) at the Wayne State Triangular and finished fifth in the 800-meter run (2:22.57) at the Sioux City Relays. She was third in the 200-meter dash (26.27) at the Simpson Twilight Open held in April. She had a career-best 57.99 and finished second in the 400-meter dash at the NCC Outdoor Meet last weekend. Aimee Nielsen, a junior from Mason City, Iowa, will compete at nationals in the 5,000-meter run, in which she ranks 14th (17:25.50) in NCAA Division II. She captured the 5,000-meter run title (17:57.67) at the NCC Outdoor Meet, helping the Coyotes to a team title. She also played a role at the indoor league meet, also won by USD. Nielsen was second in the 1,000-meter run (3:04.48) at the NCC Indoor meet. She also was the lead runner on the cross country team that won its third straight championship last fall. She was third (22:37.30, 6,000-meters) at the NCC Cross Country Championships and was 12th (22:18) at the North Central Region Cross Country Championships. Nielsen finished 37th (23:08) at the Division II Cross Country Nationals last fall. Diana Scott, a senior from Norfolk, Neb., will compete in the 100-meter hurdles at the outdoor nationals. Scott, who ranks 19th nationally in the 100-meter hurdles (14.29), had a strong NCC Outdoor meet with a conference title in the 400-meter hurdles (time unavailable), second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (14.29) and as a member of the winning 4x400-meter relay squad. Scott was a member of USD's record-breaking 4x100 shuttle relay squad that finished third at the Drake Relays in 2004. Marci Miller, a senior from Rapid City, S.D., will end her stellar career in the pole vault at the 2005 nationals. Miller, who was named the USD Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and one of 14 NCC Honor Athletes, ranks ninth in the nation in the pole vault (12'06). A five-time All-American, Miller has been named NCC Track and Field Athlete of the Week three times this spring, and owns seven top-three finishes in the pole vault at NCC championship meets. A three-time Academic All-NCC selection, she is USD's outdoor record-holder in the pole vault (12'08.75). At NCAA Division II national meets, Miller has earned All-American honors by placing third (2004), fourth (2001, 2002, 2003), and sixth (2005). Tiffany Barber, a senior from Chester, S.D., has qualified for nationals in the hammer throw, ranking 10th nationally (176'03). She recently placed second in the hammer throw (160'02) at the outdoor conference meet. She earned All-American honors in the shot put (45'10'75) at the 2004 Division II indoor nationals in Boston, Mass. Kassidi Bridge, a senior from Winner, S.D., also will throw the hammer at the national meet in her last competition as a member of the Coyote women's track and field team. Bridge ranks 13th nationally (170'08.75) in the hammer throw. Bridge owns the USD school record in the hammer throw (177'06, 2004) and won a title in the event (168'0) at the recent NCC outdoor meet. Bridge finished eighth in weight throw (55'5) and earned All-American honors at the NCAA Division II Indoor nationals in 2004. Bridge, who was named honorable mention on the Academic All-NCC Track and Field/Cross Country Team this spring, finished second in the weight throw (53'03) and eighth in the shot put (39'03.75) in helping the USD women's team to a NCC Indoor team title in 2005.