SPOKANE, Wash.—Chris Nilsen's pole vault title highlighted four Coyote alumni that competed at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships held Feb. 26-27 at The Podium.
 
Nilsen captured the men's pole vault title with a height of 19-4 ¾ (5.91m), winning his second consecutive U.S. Championship after winning the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. This past Saturday at the Perche Elite Tour in Rouen, France, he broke his own American indoor record with a clearance of 19-10 ¼ (6.05m). The height moves him to fifth on the world's all-time indoor list. Only Mondo Duplantis, Renaud Lavillenie, Sergey Bubka and Steve Hooker have ever soared higher indoors.
 
Nilsen heads to the World Indoor Championships held March 18-20 in Belgrade, Serbia, where he will duel Duplantis on the international stage yet again. Nilsen was the Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo.
 
Lara Boman placed third in the women's weight throw competition with a personal best mark of 77-4 ¾ (23.59m). While the bronze medal in the hammer throw would put her in contention for a Team USA uniform during the outdoor season, the World Indoor Championships does not have a weight throw competition.
 
Zack Anderson followed up a sixth-place finish at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials with a sixth-place finish at the 2022 U.S. Indoor Championships. Anderson cleared 7-0 ½ (2.15m) in the men's high jump.
 
Emily Grove added a sixth-place finish in the women's pole vault competition with a season-best height of 14-9 (4.50m).
 
All four athletes hold South Dakota school records in their respective events.