BROOKINGS, S.D.—South Dakota seniors Ethan Bray and Holly Gerberding captured Summit League titles to highlight opening day action of the Summit League Championships inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on Saturday.
 
The Coyotes sit in second of the women's competition on day one with 36 points, while USD's men are in third with 50 points.
 
Bray added a Summit title to his impressive February resume. He cleared 18 feet, 5 ½ inches (5.63m), to capture his second career pole vault title. He's won the collegiate section of every meet in 2021 and vaulted past 18-feet in the last four meets. Bray led a parade of Coyotes that captured 30 points in the event. Freshman Eerik Haamer joined him on the podium in second place with a vault of 17-9 ¾ (5.43m). Sophomore Marshall Faurot, senior Kaleb Ellis and freshman Tre Young swept fourth through sixth place, respectively.
 
Gerberding opened the meet by successfully defending her Summit title in the pentathlon. She totaled a season-best 3,744 points for the competition. Gerberding's day continued with a personal best long jump of 19-0 (5.79m) to place fifth. She cracks USD's top-10 in the event with the ninth best mark in school history. She also clocked a personal best of 8.75 seconds in the preliminaries of the 60-meter hurdles to qualify for the finals. The time ranks fourth in USD program history.
 
Junior Liberty Justus also scored in the pentathlon, placing sixth with a combined score of 3,162 points. The men's heptathlon finished the first four events on Saturday, with sophomore Will Stupalsky sitting in the fifth position.
 
The women's distance medley relay earned all-Summit League honors with a third-place clocking of 12:06.80. Senior Kelsi Kearney led off the 1,200-meter leg, senior Danielle Thompson ran the 400 meters, junior Brigit Blote took the 800 meters and freshman McKenna Herrmann finished it off with the final 1,600 meters.
 
The men's distance medley of senior Cole Streich, freshman Luke Olson, freshman Dylan Blake and sophomore Alec Atwood combined for a time of 10:14.50 and fifth place.
 
Freshman Abrielle Jirele placed fourth in the women's 3,000 meters with a time of 9:51.02. Senior Jonna Bart finished just behind her in 9:53.97.
 
Redshirt-freshman Ethan Heitman took fourth in the long jump with a distance of 23-2 ¾ (7.08m). Freshman teammate Jacob Jenkins was seventh in the field.
 
Both the men's and women's weight throw competition wrapped up on Saturday. Senior Matt Slagus took fifth with a mark of 63-9 ¾ (19.45m) with junior Jessie Sullivan just behind in seventh place. Senior Callie Henrich took sixth in the women's field with a throw of 60-6 ¾ (18.46m). Sophomore Lydia Knapp was eighth, launching a personal best of 60-5 ¼ (18.42m) for fourth in program history.
 
Junior Merga Gemeda and sophomore Clayton Whitehead finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 3,000 meters. Gemeda clocked a personal best 8:30.71 for the 10th-best time in USD history.
 
The Coyotes also had plenty of athletes punch their tickets to Sunday's finals from the preliminary competition.
 
Sophomore Brithton Senior improved to 10th in the NCAA with a season-best time of 7.77 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. Classmate Hugo Morvan added a personal best 7.93 seconds for the fourth-fastest time at USD.
 
Freshman Demar Francis and sophomore Dylan Kautz both cracked USD's top-10 in the men's 200 meters.
 
Freshman Erin Kinney clocked personal bests in both the 60 meters and 200 meters, moving up in the Coyote Top 10 in both events. Junior Haley Arens clocked a personal best in the 800 meters and moved to ninth in program history.
 
South Dakota returns to action with the men's heptathlon at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Field events begin at 11:30 a.m. and running events start at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
 
Summit League Championships Point Scorers
1. Ethan Bray, men's pole vault, 18-5 ½ (5.63m)
            2. Eerik Haamer, men's pole vault, 17-9 ¾ (5.43m)
            4. Marshall Faurot, men's pole vault, 16-10 (5.13m)
            5. Kaleb Ellis, men's pole vault, 16-10 (5.13m)
            6. Tre Young, men's pole vault, 15-10 (4.83m)
1. Holly Gerberding, women's pentathlon, 3,744 points
            6. Liberty Justus, women's pentathlon, 3,162 points
3. Kelsi Kearney, Danielle Thompson, Brigit Blote, McKenna Herrmann, women's distance medley, 12:06.80
4. Abrielle Jirele, women's 3,000m, 9:51.02
            5. Jonna Bart, women's 3,000m, 9:53.97
4. Ethan Heitman, men's long jump, 23-2 ¾ (7.08m)
            7. Jacob Jenkins, men's long jump, 21-8 ¾ (6.62m)
5. Holly Gerberding, women's long jump, 19-0 (5.79m)
5. Matt Slagus, men's weight throw, 63-9 ¾ (19.45m)
            7. Jessie Sullivan, men's weight throw, 62-6 (19.05m)
5. Cole Streich, Luke Olson, Dylan Blake, Alec Atwood, men's distance medley, 10:14.50
6. Callie Henrich, women's weight throw, 60-6 ¾ (18.46m)
            8. Lydia Knapp, women's weight throw, 60-5 ¼ (18.42m)
 
Advanced to Summit League Championship Finals
Women's 60 meters: Erin Kinney (7.66)
Men's 60 meters: Dylan Kautz (6.85), Ardell Inlay (6.90)
Women's 60-meter hurdles: Holly Gerberding (8.75)
Men's 60-meter hurdles: Brithton Senior (7.77), Hugo Morvan (7.93)
Women's 200 meters: Sara Reifenrath (24.35), Erin Kinney (25.07)
Men's 200 meters: Demar Francis (21.61), Dylan Kautz (21.77), Virgil Steward (21.90)
Women's 400 meters: Sara Reifenrath (55.33), Madison Jochum (57.70)
Women's 800 meters: Haley Arens (2:13.00), Helen Gould (2:14.44), Alli Wroblewski (2:15.07)
Men's 800 meters: Braden Peters (1:55.09)