TORRANCE, Calif.—South Dakota sophomore
Macy Heinz became the fourth Coyote woman to break 2:10 in the 800 meters on Friday at the Mt. SAC Relays.
Heinz crossed the finish line in 2 minutes, 9.76 seconds, for a new personal best in the event. She joins the likes of alumna Emma Erickson, Katie Wetzstein and Jennifer Munyan to cruise past the mark. Heinz placed fifth overall in the collegiate section of the race.
Senior
Madeline Huglen finished just a second off her personal best in the invitational section of the steeplechase Friday night. She crossed the finish line in 10:30.89. Sophomore teammate
Jonna Bart finished shortly behind in her in 10:38.83.
On the men's side, seniors
Eldon Warner and
Jacob Simmons raced in the 1,500 meters. Warner clocked 3:53.46 to finish 12th in the invitational section, while Simmons took fourth in the collegiate section with a time of 3:58.32.
Junior
Kianna Stewart placed 10th in the collegiate "A" section of the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 17:33.57. She had a personal best yesterday in the collegiate section of the steeplechase.
T&F: Ashland Open
Ashland, OHIO—South Dakota throws coach
A.G. Kruger returned to his former institution, Ashland University, with his crew of Coyote hammer throwers to compete at the Ashland Alumni Open.
Senior
Lara Boman finished runner-up in the invitational section of the women's hammer with her best throw of 194-4. Ashland's MacKenzie Leigh threw a personal best 199-3 to win the section in her home ring.
In the open section of the hammer throw, junior
Emilee Shostrom took the gold with her best throw of 171-11.
Sophomore
Matt Slagus finished runner-up in the men's open hammer throw, launching it 182-8. Senior
Derrick Sheppard placed just behind him with a throw of 178-0.
Prior to arriving in Vermillion, Kruger spent 13 years training, coaching and teaching at Ashland alongside AU's head coach Jud Logan. The three-time Olympian stepped back into the ring for the day, winning the invitational hammer in 228-10.
T&F: Beach Invitational
LONG BEACH, Calif.—A small contingent of Coyotes got action underway on Friday at the 25th annual Beach Invitational at Jack Rose Track.
Freshman
Josephine Starner sent the javelin 141-0 to take 26th in the women's competition.
In the men's javelin, junior
Armand Khan took 36th with his throw of 179-2.
Senior
Kaleb Ellis and freshman
Sean McClellan took fifth and seventh, respectively, in their flight of the men's pole vault. The remaining flights will compete on Saturday. Ellis jumped 15-5 ¾.
Similarly, freshman
Josephina Wright took seventh in her flight of the women's pole vault on Friday.
T&F: Red Raider Open
Orange City, IOWA—South Dakota senior
Hunter Paulsen's runner-up finish in the 5,000 meters led four Coyotes with top-five finishes on Friday at the Red Raider Open.
Paulsen crossed the finish line in 15:22.92 for a new season best in the event. The senior was coming off a steeplechase win at the Sioux City Relays last weekend.
Junior
Laurel Ketelhut took fourth in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 162-11.
Competing in a combined 10,000-meter run, freshman
Merga Gemeda was the fourth male across the line and sophomore
Jess Skopec was the fifth female. It was Gemeda's first time attempted the distance, which he completed in 32:12.38. Skopec improved her personal best time from earlier this spring with a 42:02.44.
South Dakota returns to action at three meets on Saturday. The Coyotes return to the 25th Beach Invitational in California, the Ashland Open in Ohio and the Red Raider Open in Iowa on Saturday.
