The Meet
South Dakota track and field embarks on a trip to California for a trio of meets. The largest meet on the docket is the 62nd annual Mt. SAC Relays, which return to the newly renovated Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California. The Coyotes will also compete at a pair of meets held at Long Beach State in Long Beach, California. The Pacific Coast Intercollegiate is scheduled for Thursday and the Long Beach Invitational is set for Saturday.
The Coyotes
South Dakota nears the mid-way point of the outdoor season. Sophomore
Eerik Haamer and freshman
Moe Bridgen are the reigning TicketSmarter Summit League Athletes of the Week after impressive performances at Wichita State. Haamer moved to seventh in the nation for the outdoor season with a clearance of 18-0 ½ (5.50m) in the pole vault. His teammates
Marshall Faurot (12th) and
Tre Young (34th) are also ranked in the men's pole vault.
Marleen Mülla still has the women's sixth-best height in the event, clearing 14-5 ½ (4.41m) at the USD Early Bird. Others in the top-35 of the national rankings include freshman
Danii Anglin in the high jump (28th),
Lydia Knapp in the hammer throw (31st) and
Jessie Sullivan in the discus (34th).
The League Leaders
South Dakota leads the Summit League in 11 different events this season.
Women's 100m:
Erin Kinney, 11.65 seconds
Men's 110m Hurdles:
Brithton Senior, 14.23 seconds
Women's 400m:
Sara Reifenrath, 55.67 seconds
Women's 400m Hurdles:
Moe Bridgen, 1:00.48
Women's 3,000m Steeplechase:
Helen Gould, 10:55.71
Women's 4x100m Relay:
Erin Kinney,
Jacy Pulse,
Anna Robinson,
Sara Reifenrath, 45.85 seconds
Women's 4x400m Relay:
Anna Robinson,
Moe Bridgen,
Jacy Pulse,
Sara Reifenrath, 3:41.16
Women's High Jump:
Danii Anglin, 5-10 (1.78m)
Men's Pole Vault:
Eerik Haamer, 18-0 ½ (5.50m)
Women's Pole Vault:
Marleen Mülla, 14-5 ½ (4.41m)
Men's Discus:
Jessie Sullivan, 186-1 (56.71m)
The Competition
There's a display outside Hilmer Lodge that reads "Where the World's Best Athletes Compete!" which rings true this weekend as well. The nation's elite competition, top collegians, community college athletes and elite high schoolers will all be in action this weekend in California.
One Last Thing
The prestigious Mt. SAC Relays return to Hilmer Lodge Stadium for the first time since 2015. Renovations to the facility, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, have kept the meet away from the campus of Mt. San Antonio College.
