GRAND FORKS, N.D.—South Dakota captured two event titles and third-year sophomore Dylan Kautz broke a Summit League Championship meet record to highlight the first day of the Summit League Championships held inside the Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center.
 
Kautz got out from the gun and led wire-to-wire in the 60 meters for a personal best time of 6.68 seconds. The time broke the 23-year-old Summit League meet record of 6.70 seconds held by Virgil Maddox of Oral Roberts. He also broke the South Dakota school record of 6.73 seconds held by Tom Green (2002). The Coyotes have broken both the men's and women's 60-meter dash records in the same season, with Erin Kinney setting the women's mark earlier this season.
 

𝑊𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑊𝑖𝑟𝑒.

Kautz with a new Summit League record 6.68 seconds in the preliminaries. 🚨@Dylan_Kautz x #GoYotes 🐾 pic.twitter.com/e3bKwHsfkw

— South Dakota Track & Field / Cross Country (@SDCoyotesXCTF) February 25, 2022

 
The women's distance medley relay of fourth-year junior Haley Arens, third-year sophomore Madison Jochum, fifth-year senior Alli Wroblewski and third-year sophomore Helen Gould made history as the first Coyote quartet, men's or women's, to take gold in the distance medley relay at the Summit meet. Arens and Jochum set the Coyotes' baton out to an early lead. Wroblewski had the challenge of facing Oksana Covey, the top-ranked 800 runner in the league this season, in her leg but kept the Coyotes within striking distance. Gould took the lead back in the first lap and continued to put on the gas to pull away for the relay title with a time of 11:53.86. That time ranks fifth in USD program history.
 
Second-year freshman Eerik Haamer captured the Coyotes' sixth-straight title in the men's pole vault and led a Coyote squad to racking up 29 points in the event. Haamer captured the vault with a height of 17-5 ½ (5.32m). Second-year freshman Tre Young and third-year sophomore Marshall Faurot joined him in the podium sweep. Young cleared 16-11 ½ (5.17m) and Faurot made 16-5 ½ (5.02m). Freshman Spencer Buley and fourth-year junior Sean McClellan placed sixth and seventh, respectively.
 
At the conclusion of the first day, South Dakota sits in second place in both the men's and women's team races. USD's men have 59 points to South Dakota State's 61 points. The Coyote women have 46 points to leader NDSU's 54 points.
 
The Coyotes picked up a pair of runner-up finishes in the men's and women's weight throw.
 
Fourth-year junior Jessie Sullivan placed second for all-Summit honors in the men's weight throw. He launched the weight 68-4 ½ (20.84m) for the highest finish by a Coyote since 2019. Fifth-year senior Matt Slagus launched the weight 64-3 ¼ (19.59m) for fourth place and fourth-year junior Kaden Elder reported a personal best 63-9 ½ (19.44m) for fifth place. Elder ranks fifth in program history with the mark. Freshman Wyatt Pruce took seventh and USD totaled 19 points in the event. It marked the most points scored in the event by the Coyotes since joining the league.
 
Third-year sophomore Lydia Knapp took second with a throw of 64-5 (19.63m) to garner all-league honors in the women's weight throw. She becomes just the second Coyote, joining Lara Boman, to earn all-league honors in the weight throw. Freshman Delaney Smith placed fifth in 60-8 ½ (18.50m).
 
Second-year freshman Abriele Jirele earned all-Summit honors in the women's 3,000 meters, clocking a three-second personal best of 9:40.36 for third place. The time moves her to second in USD program history. Third-year sophomore Ella Byers, seeded 11th in the field, broke out a 20-second personal record to score in sixth place. She crossed the finish line in 9:50.32.
 
Defending champion Holly Gerberding finished with the bronze in the women's pentathlon competition on Friday, tallying a score of 3,657. Her teammate Liberty Justus ended up just a place behind with a personal best score of 3,537 points. That tally moves her to fifth in USD program history. Throughout the event, Justus clocked new personal records in the 60 hurdles, shot put and 800 meters. Redshirt-freshman Wyatt Lubarski sits in fourth place after wrapping up day one of the men's heptathlon competition.
 
Gerberding came back to place fifth in the open long jump competition with a leap of 18-6 ½ (5.65m).
 
The trio of freshman Ken-Mark Minkovski, second-year freshman Jacob Jenkins and freshman Jayden Green took sixth through eighth in the men's long jump.
 
The men's distance medley relay of fourth-year sophomore Jacob Waymire, second-year freshman Dylan Blake, freshman Mason Sindelar and third-year sophomore Charlie Babcock placed sixth in 10:30.53.
 
Fourth-year junior Merga Gemeda clocked a personal best of 8:18.98 in the 3,000 meters on Friday night. That time moves him to fourth in USD program history. He finished in seventh place in the competitive field.
 
 
Summit League Championships Point Scorers
1. Haley Arens, Madison Jochum, Alli Wroblewski, Helen Gould, women's distance medley, 11:53.86
1. Eerik Haamer, men's pole vault, 17-5 ½ (5.32m)
            2. Tre Young, men's pole vault, 16-11 ½ (5.17m)
            3. Marshall Faurot, men's pole vault, 16-5 ½ (5.02m)
            6. Spencer Buley, men's pole vault, 15-5 ¾ (4.72m)
            7. Sean McClellan, men's pole vault, 15-0 (4.57m)
2. Lydia Knapp, women's weight throw, 64-5 (19.63m)
            5. Delaney Smith, women's weight throw, 60-8 ½ (18.50m)
2. Jessie Sullivan, men's weight throw, 68-4 ½ (20.84m)
            4. Matt Slagus, men's weight throw, 64-3 ¼ (19.59m)
            5. Kaden Elder, men's weight throw, 63-9 ½ (19.44m)
            7. Wyatt Pruce, men's weight throw, 57-9 (17.60m)
3. Abrielle Jirele, women's 3,000 meters, 9:40.36
            6. Ella Byers, women's 3,000 meters, 9:50.32
3. Holly Gerberding, women's pentathlon, 3,657 points
            4. Liberty Justus, women's pentathlon, 3,537 points
5. Holly Gerberding, women's long jump, 18-6 ½ (5.65m)
6. Ken-Mark Minkovski, men's long jump, 22-6 ½ (6.87m)
            7. Jacob Jenkins, men's long jump, 22-5 ¼ (6.84m)
            8. Jayden Green, men's long jump, 22-3 ½ (6.79m)
6. Jacob Waymire, Dylan Blake, Mason Sindelar, Charlie Babcock, men's distance medley, 10:30.53
7. Merga Gemeda, men's 3,000 meters, 8:18.98
 
Advanced to Summit League Championship Finals
Women's 60 meters: Erin Kinney (7.52), Anna Robinson (7.69)
Men's 60 meters: Dylan Kautz (6.68), Ardell Inlay (6.88)
Women's 60-meter hurdles: Averi Schmeichel (8.67)
Men's 60-meter hurdles: Hugo Morvan (8.15), Brithton Senior (8.18)
Women's 200 meters: Sara Reifenrath (24.04), Erin Kinney (24.50), Anna Robinson (24.65), Moe Bridgen (24.82), Jacy Pulse (25.09)
Men's 200 meters: Dylan Kautz (21.42), Demar Francis (21.43), Ardell Inlay (21.86)
Women's 400 meters: Jacy Pulse (56.33), Sara Reifenrath (56.57)
Men's 400 meters: Demar Francis (47.92)
Women's 800 meters: Haley Arens (2:12.48)