Orem, Utah -- Senior Jasmine Mosley set a new school record on her way to a win in the women's hammer throw to highlight the opening day of competition for the
South Dakota track and field teams at the
Great West Outdoor Championships Thursday in Orem, Utah.
Sophomore Bethany Buell captured the championship in the women's pole vault to help the Coyote women move into first place (54 points) after the first day of competition.
The Coyote men are also in second after three events, trailing Texas-Pan American by just one point (16-15).
Mosley (Bellevue, Neb.) won the women's hammer throw with a personal-best effort of 180-5 3/4, topping the previous school record of 177-6, which was set by Kassidi Myrick-Bridge in 2004. Mosley edged Becky Reeves of Utah Valley for the crown Thursday. It is the second individual championship of the 2011 campaign for Mosley, who won the shot put at the Great West Indoor Championship in February.
Buell (St. Louis, Mo.), who won the Great West Indoor Championship in the pole vault in February, was impressive once again during the opening day of competition. She cleared 13-7 1/2 on Thursday for the win, missing the school record she set just five days earlier at the Howard Wood Relays by less than two inches. The Coyote women showed their depth in that event, as sophomore Megan Meyer (Bismarck, N.D.) placed second at 11-9 3/4, while senior Haley Peterson (Norfolk, Neb.) was third at 11-3 3/4.
Junior Darci Youngstrom (McCook Lake, S.D.) added a solid third-place finish in the women's hammer throw with a personal-best of 161-2 1/4. Freshman Denton Stephens (Rapid City, S.D.) was third in the men's hammer throw at 157-7, also a personal-best.
The Coyote men placed two in the top five of the 10,000 meters, with sophomore Ethan Marquardt (Albert Lea, Minn.) taking fourth at 33:11.77 and freshman Jeff Grossenburg (Yankton, S.D.) taking fifth at 33:32.67. The Coyote women placed two in the top six of the 10,000 meters. Freshman Megan Hilson (Yankton, S.D.) finished fourth with a time of 39.27.99, while sophomore Jessica Brandli (Rapid City, S.D.) was sixth at 40:20.93.
Freshman Tansha Clarke (St. Catherine, Jamaica) is second after the first four events of the women's heptathlon at 2,920 points with senior Crystal Schiernbeck (Ida Grove, Iowa) in fourth at 2,747. The final three events of the heptathlon - the long jump, javelin and 800 meters - are set for Friday.
After the first five events of the men's decathlon, junior Tanner Willard (Belle Fourche, S.D.) is in fourth at 2,877 points with junior Tyler Maxwell (Tekamah, Neb.) sitting in fifth at 2,759 points. The final five events of the decathlon - the 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters -- are set for Friday.
Friday's action begins at 10 a.m. Central with the decathlon, followed by the heptathlon at 11 a.m. The field events begin at 1 p.m. CT with running events beginning at 4:45 p.m. CT.
Note: The pole vault final results are listed under trials on the meet results.
