Vermillion, S.D. -- The South Dakota track and field teams are set to hold the annual Dan Lennon Invitational on March 28 and 29 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. The prestigious prep meet features Class A competition on Monday, March 28 and Class B competition on Tuesday, March 29. The competition begins both days with the triple jump at 11:30 a.m. and continues throughout the day.

A schedule of each day's events can be found at the links above.

Beringer to Receive Dan Lennon Award The South Dakota track and field program will present Ken Beringer of Vermillion, S.D., with the Dan Lennon Award at the 2011 Dan Lennon Track and Field Invitational on March 28 in the DakotaDome. Beringer is the 22nd winner of the award and will be honored at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

Established in 1991, the Dan Lennon Award is bestowed annually in honor of the former Coyote track and field coach. Lennon organized the first USD Invitational track meet on April 13, 1949 and coached USD to four North Central Conference titles from 1961-66. He was inducted into the South Dakota Coyote Sports Hall of Fame in 1974.

Beringer started his track career at Tyndall (S.D.) High School, where he was coached by Floyd Nelson. Beringer attended Southern State Teachers College in Springfield, where he lettered in college track. Beringer coached track in Winner, Salem and Lennox, where he started cross country. During his coaching tenures at those three schools, several athletes qualified for state meets, often competing against Sioux Falls schools. He also started the Tri-State cross country meet.

Beringer became track coach at Vermillion and during that time, his sons, Joe, Jeff and Jon, would help at the Dan Lennon meet, shoveling snow from the bleachers and off the track at Inman Field. The meet is now the Dan Lennon Relays which is held annually at the DakotaDome.

Beringer has volunteered at the Dan Lennon Relays for more than 30 years.

2010 Meet Highlights Class A: Shelby Houlihan of Sioux City East and Trevor Gebhart, Matt Gerry and Dino Dautcehajic of Sioux Falls Washington were named the MVPs of the Class A section of the Dan Lennon Invitational, held Mardch 29, 2010 at the DakotaDome. Houlihan, also the 2009 MVP, won three events and set two records. She won the 1,600 meters (5:23), won the 800 with a meet record of 2:15. Houlihan was also a member of the 4x400 relay which set a record of 4:07.

Washington's Gebhart, Gerry and Dautcehajic were also impressive, as the trio combined to bring home three relays titles on the day. They opened with a 3:44 to win the sprint medley, followed with 1:34 for first in the 4x200-meter relay and finished the day with a title in the 4x400-meter relay in 3:34.

Bob Winter of Yankton, S.D. received the 2010 Dan Lennon Award. During the meet, Yankton's Bob Winter was awarded the 2010 Dan Lennon Award. Winter has been in the high school since 1963. He has taught science and coached various sports including football, basketball, baseball, swimming, cross country and track and field. Under his guidance, Yankton cross country has earned 12 team championships while the track squads have claimed five.

Class B Carly Carper of Oldham-Ramona/Rutland and Cody Snyder of Andes Central were named MVPs of the Class B Section of the 2010 Dan Lennon Invitational.

Carper claimed her third-straight title in the 60-meter dash with a 7.99 in the final, before anchoring ORR's 4x200-meter relay that posted a winning time of 1:54. She capped the day with a leap of 16-11 to win the long jump. Snyder won the shot put by over 10 feet with a toss of 58-0.