NEW ORLEANS—South Dakota track and field boasts the nation's top-ranked pole vault squads for men and women in the first event squad rankings of the season by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Coyotes also have the second-best men's high jump squad nationally.
 
In the overall national track and field ratings index, South Dakota's men rank 26th and the women rank 41st. Both squads remain in the same position from a week ago.
 
The event squad rankings take the average mark of the top-four competitors by a school in an event. The schools are then ranked, starting with the best average.
 
South Dakota's men's pole vaulters boast a nation-leading average height of 17-7 ½. Three-time NCAA Champion Chris Nilsen leads the nation this season with his vault of 19-0 ¾ from Saturday at the Adidas Classic. All three of his teammates also boast their marks from Saturday's meet inside the Devaney Center. Redshirt-junior Ethan Bray vaulted 17-11 for ninth in the nation, while senior Nick Johnson cleared 16-11. Senior Kaleb Ellis rounded out the group with an indoor best of 16-7 ¼.
 
The Coyotes also lead the nation on the women's side with an average vault of 13-9. Senior Helen Falda, a five-time All-American vaulter, jumped an indoor best of 14-3 ½ at the Adidas Classic on Saturday. The height moved her to seventh in the national rankings. Sophomore Landon Kemp also vaulted an indoor best at the meet, clearing 13-9 ¾ to tie for 16th nationally. Redshirt-junior Makiah Hunt sits 21st in the national rankings with her 13-8 ½ jump from the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational. Sophomore Deidra Marrison rounds out USD's top-four female vaulters with her vault of 13-2 ½ from the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational.
 
South Dakota's men's high jumpers rank second in the event squad rankings with an average jump of 6-10 ¾. The leader, Kansas State, combines for an average height of 7-0 ¼. Senior Zack Anderson, a two-time All-American, leads the group with his 7-3 ¼ from the Jim Emmerich Invitational. His height ranks ninth nationally. Sophomore Jack Durst cleared his best mark of 6-10 ¾ at the SDSU Holiday Open back in December. Both junior Blake Vande Hoef and freshman Ethan Heitman jumped 6-8 ¾ at the SDSU Holiday Open to round out the crew.
 
The Coyote track and field program hosts its lone indoor meet of the season this weekend. The Dakota Realty Alumni Meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday on the Mildred J. Hillenbrand Memorial Track inside the DakotaDome.