VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota director of ticket sales and operations Derrick Sheppard is pleased to announce the hiring of Ethan Bray as the assistant director of ticket operations.
 
An All-American pole vaulter for the Coyote track and field program, Bray has worked in the Coyote ticket office since June of 2019 and has served as a graduate assistant for the past year and a half while pursuing his master's in kinesiology and sport management.
 
"I am very excited to be able to stay in Vermillion and work for the athletic department in this capacity," said Bray. "I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to USD after all that the school did for me while I was a student-athlete."
 
Bray's collegiate track and field accolades include three All-America honors, a pair of Summit League titles and Academic All-America as a senior. He capped off his collegiate career with a bronze medal at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials this past summer. Bray owns a personal best of 18-6 ½ (5.65m) in the pole vault, the second-best height in USD program history behind teammate and Olympic silver medalist Chris Nilsen.
 
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Bray was the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) President during the 2019-20 academic year.
 
Bray graduated from the University of South Dakota in the spring of 2020 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.