BOSTON, MASS. -- The South Dakota men's team, led by a pair of All-American performances, stands ninth in the team standings with seven points after one day of competition at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships being held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass. The South Dakota women's team was led by junior sprinter Stephanie Gebhart, who advanced to Saturday's finals in both the 200 and 400-meter dashes. The USD women's team did not score on the first day of the meet.
Senior Sam Pribyl of Webster, S.D., finished third in the men's pole vault by going 16'04, which earned him his fifth career All-American honor, including his third indoors. The men's team also received an All-American performance from Nick Hageman in the weight throw. Hagemann, a senior from New Vienna, Iowa, tossed the instrument a personal-best 60'03.25, which is the second-best throw in school history. Dan Tolsma, a senior from Vermillion, S.D., finished 11th with a throw of 57'00.75.
Terry Liggins, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb., advanced to the 60-meter hurdles finals with a school-record clocking of 7.97. Liggins, who had the third-best time among qualifiers, broke his own school mark of 8.10 during prelims on Friday.
Scott Hargens, a sophomore from Sioux Falls, S.D., finished 13th in the prelims in the 800 with a clocking of 1:56.61 but did not qualify for finals.
For the South Dakota women's team, Stephanie Gebhart, a nine-time All-American from Elkton, S.D., advanced to the finals in both the 200 and 400-meter dashes. She had the sixth-best time in the 200-meter dash, going 24.668, which is her personal best this season. Gebhart also had a season-best clocking of 55.10 in the 400-meter dash, which was the third-best time among the qualifiers. Senior Kassy Laber of Parkston, S.D., qualified in the 800-meter run by clocking a 2:13.32, which is the second-best time among the qualifiers. Laber, a six-time All-American, came into the competition with the nation's top 800-meter time of 2:10.86.
The Coyote women's distance medley relay finished just short of All-American honors by placing ninth in 11:57.74. The team included senior Amber Stoltenburg of Elkton, S.D.; junior Kiki Smith of Wahpeton, N.D.; senior Meghann Reifenrath of Rock Rapids, Iowa; and senior Kaylee Keating of Sioux Falls, S.D.
Also for the USD women, Tanya Salter of Fargo, N.D., finished 13th in the high jump by going 5'03.25.
Men Team Points: Missouri Southern, 18; Ashland, 18; Morehouse, 12; Abilene Christian, 11; Adams State, 10; Lincoln, 10; Grand Valley State, 10; St. Augustine's, 9; South Dakota, 7; Central Missouri State, 7; California-Bakersfield, 6; Harding, 6; Missouri Rolla, 5; Colorado School of Mines, 5; Massachusetts-Lowell, 4; Lewis, 3; Minnesota-Moorhead, 3; Pittsburg State, 3; Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 3; Western Washington, 3; Southern Conn. State, 2; Minnesota State, Mankato, 1.
Women's Team Points: Indianapolis, 16.33; Nebraska-Kearney, 15; Central Missouri State, 15; Adams State,14; Abilene Christian, 12.33; Nebraska-Omaha, 10; Chadron State, 8.50; Emporia State, 8; Colorado School of Mines, 8; Fort Hays State, 6.33; Massachusetts-Lowell, 6; Ashland, 5; Wayne State, 4; Western State, 4; Grand Valley State, 3; West Chester, 3; Seattle Pacific, 3; California-L.A., 3; Southern Conn. State, 2; Lincoln, 2; Bowie State, 2; Missouri Southern, 2; Ferris State, 1; Southern Illinois-Edwardsville,1; Findlay, 1; and Northwest Nazarene, 0.5.
