EUGENE, Ore.—South Dakota fifth-year senior
Ethan Bray garnered the bronze medal and All-America first team status on Wednesday night at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field.
Bray cleared 18-2 ½ (5.55m) with a friendly bounce on his third attempt to earn the placing. He previously had first-attempt makes of 17-4 ½ (5.30m) and 17-10 ½ (5.45m) entering that height. He took three shots at 18-6 ½ (5.65m), which would have tied his personal best and moved him to second place.
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Bray caps off his Coyote career with a career-best third-place finish at the national meet. This marks his third career All-America honor, previously earning the recognition for the indoor season in 2020 and 2021. He was fifth at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships.
It was a complicated evening of competition for redshirt-freshman
Marshall Faurot with the official results stating that he did not clear a height in the competition. His first attempts in the competition came in a down pouring rainstorm that would eventually halt the pole vault competition in a weather delay. South Dakota's coaching staff filed a protest with meet officials after the rain delay to grant Faurot an additional attempt at the opening bar. While the protest was being reviewed, Faurot not only cleared the opening height of 16-10 ¾ (5.15m) but also went on to make an additional bar at 17-4 ½ (5.30m). As the bar moved up to the next height, the appeal was not overturned and he was eliminated from the remainder of the competition. He would have placed at least 13th in the field if the appeal had been held up.
The Coyotes were one of three schools with two men in the field. Combined with USD's two women's vaulters of
Helen Falda and
Gen Hirata, South Dakota has the most pole vaulters in the nation at the championship meet.
South Dakota resumes action at 6 p.m. (CT) Thursday with the women's pole vault.
Gallery: (6-9-2021) T&F at NCAA Championships (Day 1)
