FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.—South Dakota sophomores
Gen Hirata and
Brithton Senior recorded a pair of All-America second team finishes on Friday at the NCAA Championships inside Tyson Indoor.
Hirata placed 10th in the women's pole vault competition with a second-attempt make of 13-11 ¾ (4.26m). The next height in the progression would have been a quarter-inch personal best for her (14-3 ½, 4.36m). Hirata earns All-America second team honors for the performance, her first career All-America recognition.
Senior clocked the 10th-fastest time in the men's 60-meter hurdles in Friday's semifinals. He clocked 7.79 seconds for the event to finish just .02 seconds off his season best. The final qualifying time to Saturday's final was 7.74 seconds. Senior garners All-America second team honors for the performance. This marks his second career All-America recognition.
South Dakota's had 11 women and seven men combine for 41 All-America accolades since the transition to NCAA Division I. Senior follows in the footsteps of his coach
Teivaskie Lewin as the program's only Division I All-Americans in the 60-meter hurdles. Hirata is the fifth woman to garner Division I All-America status in the pole vault at USD. The program has blossomed under the direction of Olympic bronze medalist
Derek Miles.
Two Coyotes –
Ethan Bray and
Eerik Haamer – are slated to compete Saturday in the men's pole vault competition scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
