FORT WAYNE, Ind.—South Dakota captured three field events championships during the first day of the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships presented by the U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Friday inside the Lutheran Health Fieldhouse.
 
Junior Holly Gerberding captured her first-ever Summit League title with a personal best of 3,759 points in the pentathlon on Friday. She opened the five-event competition with a win in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.96 seconds. Gerberding remained consistent throughout the remaining events, placing third in the shot put, long jump and 800 meters.
 
Two-time Summit League high jump champion Zack Anderson captured his first long jump title with a personal best leap of 23-7 ½. The mark is nearly a foot past his previous best. Anderson becomes the first Coyote to win the men's long jump since 2016 and captures the fourth title in the event all-time. His high jump title defense begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
 
The nation's top-ranked men's pole vault squad racked up 27 points in the event at the conference meet. Senior Chris Nilsen won his third Summit League indoor title with a height of 18-1. Redshirt-junior Ethan Bray earned all-Summit League honors with a runner-up performance of 17-5. Seniors Kaleb Ellis and Nick Johnson took fourth and fifth, respectively. This USD's the fourth-straight league title in the men's pole vault.
 
South Dakota claimed three of the six field event titles up for grabs on Friday.
 
The women's distance medley relay earned all-league honors with a third place finish in 12:08.97. Freshman Helen Gould led off with the 1,200-meter leg, senior Hannah Draayer took the stick for 400 meters, sophomore Haley Arens ran the 800-meter leg and junior Kelsi Kearney anchored the relay with the 1,600-meter leg.
 
Junior Jonna Bart earned her first all-Summit League honors indoors in the 3,000 meters. She placed third in the 3,000 meters with a time of 9:48.89. Junior Abby Ripperda placed fifth in the race, while senior Kianna Stewart took seventh.
 
The men's distance medley relay also placed third for all-Summit honors, clocking a time of 10:31.50. Freshman Alec Atwood took the 1,200-meter leg, junior Zach Renken ran for 400 meters, freshman Braden Peters took the baton for 800 meters and junior Cole Streich finished it off on the 1,600-meter leg.
 
In the men's 3,000 meters, freshman Clayton Whitehead took fourth place in a personal best 8:28.06.
 
Senior Samara Spencer kicked off a busy weekend of events with a fifth-place finish in the women's long jump.
 
Junior Callie Henrich and freshman Meredith Clark scored points in the women's shot put, taking sixth and eighth, respectively.
 
In the preliminaries of the men's 60-meter hurdles, freshman Brithton Senior tied the Summit League Championships meet record with a clocking of 7.79 seconds. Coyote alum Teivaskie Lewin set the facility and meet record back in 2016.
 
Through the first four of seven events in the men's heptathlon, redshirt-sophomore Kenneth McMahan leads the competition with 2,944 points. True freshmen Marshall Faurot and William Stupalsky sit fifth and sixth, respectively, in the standings at the end of day one.
 
South Dakota returns to action with the men's heptathlon at 8:30 a.m. (CT) Saturday. Field events begin at 10 a.m. and running events start at noon tomorrow.
 
Summit League Championships Point Scorers
1. Holly Gerberding, women's pentathlon, 3,759 points
1. Zack Anderson, men's high jump, 7.20m, 23-7 ½
1. Chris Nilsen, men's pole vault, 5.51m, 18-1
            2. Ethan Bray, men's pole vault, 5.31m, 17-5
            4. Kaleb Ellis, men's pole vault, 5.01, 16-5 ¼
            5. Nick Johnson, men's pole vault, 5.01m, 16-5 ¼
3. Jonna Bart, women's 3,000 meters, 9:48.89
            5. Abby Ripperda, women's 3,000 meters, 9:53.60
            7. Kianna Stewart, women's 3,000 meters, 9:56.34
3. Helen Gould, Hannah Draayer, Haley Arens, Kelsi Kearney, women's distance medley, 12:08.97
3. Alec Atwood, Zach Renken, Braden Peters, Cole Streich, men's distance medley, 10:31.50
4. Clayton Whitehead, men's 3,000 meters, 8:28.06
5. Samara Spencer, women's long jump, 5.73m, 18-9 ¾
6. Callie Henrich, women's shot put, 14.77m, 48-5 ½
8. Meredith Clark, women's shot put, 14.04m, 46-0 ¾
 
Advanced to Summit League Championships Finals
Women's 60 meters: Tasheka Gordon (7.66), Samara Spencer (7.73)
Men's 60 meters: Dylan Kautz (6.85)
Women's 60-meter Hurdles: Britny Kerr (8.73), Holly Gerberding (8.92)
Men's 60-meter Hurdles: Brithton Senior (7.79), Hugo Morvan (8.13), Habib Jallow (8.38)
Women's 400 meters: Danielle Thompson (58.27), Madison Jochum (58.42)
Women's 800 meters: Ellie Wilson (2:19.38)