VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota director of track and field/cross country Lucky Huber is pleased to announce the additions of 28 track and field athletes, 17 female and 11 males, to the Coyote track and field program for the 2023-24 school year.
 
The 17 females come from seven states and brings a good mixture of sprinters, jumpers and distance runners into the program. Meanwhile, the 11 men set to join South Dakota hail from four different states and one international country.
 
"I am very excited to welcome these amazing athletes to the Coyote family," said Huber. "I want to thank the coaching staff for their efforts to find this very talented class. I also want to thank the faculty, admissions staff and academic advisors for their efforts in meeting with these young people and their families on their campus visit.
 
"We feel very strongly that helping recruits find a place where they can be successful academically is a huge key to our success as a program, and building those connections starts during recruiting."
 
A brief rundown on each athlete is below:
 
Eliza Aitken | Pole Vault | De Pere, Wis. | West De Pere HS
 
Hailing from De Pere, Wisconsin, Aitken is a multi-sport athlete that helped her West De Pere High School team win the 2022 state championship in Division I track and field. She was the state runner-up in the pole vault and 400 meters while finishing sixth in the 200. She also ran on a state title winning 4x400 relay team. The seven-time state qualifier also competed in hockey and volleyball during high school. She competed on American Ninja Warrior Junior season 1. She will focus primarily on the pole vault, where she owns a personal best of 12-9, at South Dakota. The National Honor Society member plans to study marketing at South Dakota.
 
Tim Bishop | Sprints | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Harrisburg HS
A football and track and field standout from Harrisburg High School who helped the Tigers when state championships in football (2021) and track and field (2022) during a strong junior year. He was the state runner-up in the 100, 200 (22.33) and 4x200 on the track, where he set school records in the 100 (10.55) along with the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. The Eastern South Dakota conference champ and metro Sioux Falls champ in the 100-meter dash plans to study business at South Dakota.
 
Taylor Bredthauer | Jumps, Sprints | Cortland, Neb. | Norris HS
 
The Cortland, Nebraska, product was a three-event state placer in the Nebraska Class B state meet in 2022. She won the state title in the long jump while finishing third in the 100 and fourth in the 200. She holds five school records at Norris in the 60-meter dash, 100 (12.12), 200 (25.2), 4x1 relay and long jump (19-4). The honor roll student plans to study sports medicine at South Dakota.
 
Madison Brouwer | Mid-Distance | Sibley, Iowa | Sibley-Ocheyedan HS
 
Brouwer, who hails from Sibley, Iowa, is a four-time state qualifier in cross country, a state track champion and a 1,000-point scorer in basketball for Sibley-Ocheyedan High School. She twice finished as the state runner-up in cross country, helping the Generals finish third in the Class 1A state meet in 2022. The four-event state track qualifier in Class 2A in both 2021 and 2022 was second in the 1,500 and third in the 800 as a junior after winning the 800 state title and finishing fourth in the 400 and second in the 4x800 as a sophomore. She owns personal bests of 2:13 in the 800, 4:40 in the 1,500 and 18:21 in the 5K. The First Team All-Stater in basketball and Drake Relays qualifier in the 800 is a National Honor Society member who plans to study healthcare administration at South Dakota.
 
Taylor Byerley | Distance | Martin, S.D. | Lakota Tech HS
A three-sport athlete who participates in cross country, track and field as well as basketball for Lakota Tech High School. She is a four-time state qualifier in cross country along with track and field. She helped her Tatanka team advance to the 2022 state basketball tournament. She owns personal bests of 5:26 in the mile and 19:21 in the 5K for cross country. The National Honors Society member and Academic All-State honoree for cross country plans to exercise science at South Dakota.
 
Thea Chance | Distance | Yankton, S.D. | Yankton HS
 
Hailing from nearby Yankton, South Dakota, Chance is a distance runner for the Gazelles who is a six-time letterwinner in cross country and five-time state meet medalist. She is a three-time Eastern South Dakota Conference meet runner-up in cross country and a conference champ in track in the 4x800. She helped Yankton finish third in the state 4x800 race as a junior after a second-place finish as a sophomore. She has personal bests of 18:56 in the 5K, 5:22 in the 1,600. The National Honors Society member plans to study biology at South Dakota.
 
Hadley Cheatum | Hurdles | Page, Neb. | Summerland HS
 
A native of Page, Nebraska, Cheatum is a three-sport athlete at Summerland High School, where she is a four-year letterwinner in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She earned three of her four career state track medals at the 2022 Nebraska Class C state meet, finishing second in the 300 hurdles, fourth in the 400 meters and fifth in the 800. She was an All-State Honorable Mention selection in both volleyball and basketball during her career. She has a personal best of 45.79 in the 300 hurdles. The National Honors Society member and Academic All-State honoree plans to study kinesiology at South Dakota.
 
DeAndre Daley | Sprints | Hopewell, Jamaica | Herbert Morrison Tech HS
 
Hailing from the small community of Haddington in Hopewell, Jamaica is a sprinter who captured the Carifta 100-meter dash. He was also the member of a 4x100 meter relay team that set the Carifta record. He is the boys and girls championships bronze medalist while competing for Herbert Morrison Technical High School. Daley, who also participates in football, owns personal bests of 10.23 in the 100 and 21.4 in the 200. He plans to study sports management at South Dakota.
 
Caden Denker | Sprints | Bellwood, Neb. | David City HS
 
A native of Bellwood, Nebraska, Denker is a multi-sport athlete for the Scouts, participating in football, basketball and track and field. Has placed in two events in each of the last two state meets, finishing third in the 200 and seventh in the 400 as a sophomore and then placing second in the 200 and seventh in the 400 last spring. The two-time All-District selection in football and all-conference honoree in basketball owns personal bests of 11.02 in the 100, 22.09 in the 200 and 50.95 in the 400. Plans to study kinesiology/exercise science at South Dakota.
 
Jade Ecoffey | Distance | Wounded Knee, S.D. | Red Cloud HS
 
Hailing from Wounded Knee, South Dakota, Ecoffey is a four-time state champion who also participates in basketball and rodeo. She has claimed the Class A state title in the 1,600 and 3,200 in both her sophomore and junior years. She is a six-time state placer in state cross country, finishing third as a senior as her Red Cloud team finished fourth in Class A. Has helped her basketball team qualify for state tournament twice and competed in the state rodeo finals. The National Honors Society member, who owns personal bests of 5:09 in the 1,600 and 11:09 in the 3,200, plans to study psychology at South Dakota.
 
Jaxson Fiechtner | Mid-Distance | Watertown, S.D. | Watertown HS
 
Hailing from Watertown, South Dakota, Fiechtner competed in track and field along with soccer for the Arrows. He is a two-time state place winner in the 800 meters at the South Dakota Class AA state track and field championships. He placed fifth in the 800 at state as a junior in a personal best 1:56.73 after finishing third in 2021. The honor roll student plans to study finance at South Dakota.
 
Jaden Guthmiller | Sprints | Spearfish, S.D. | Spearfish HS
 
A native of Spearfish, South Dakota, Guthmiller is an athlete who uses his sprint speed on the football field as well as the track. He sped to South Dakota Class AA state track titles in the 100 and 200-meter dashes in 2022, winning the all-class gold medal in the 100. He placed third in the 200 and fourth in the 100 at the 2021 state meet. The South Dakota high school all-time 100-meter record holder owns school records in the 100 (10.45), 200 (21.74), 4x100 and indoor 60. The all-conference quarterback in football plans to study exercise science at South Dakota.
 
Jacob Horner | Hurdles | Waterloo, Neb. | Elkhorn North HS
 
Hailing from Waterloo, Nebraska, Horner is a hurdler who also competes in swimming and diving for Elkhorn North High School. He was a state track qualifier in both hurdle events in Nebraska Class B in both 2021 and 2022, finishing eighth in the 110 hurdles and ninth in the 300 hurdles as a junior after placing fourth in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 110 hurdles as a sophomore. He has a personal best of 14.87 in the 110 highs and 40.73 in the 300 hurdles. The National Honor Society member, with an ACT of 32, plans to study biology at South Dakota.
 
Moriah Knapp | Distance | Algona, Iowa | Algona HS
 
Hailing from Algona, Iowa, Knapp competes in track and field and cross country along with softball for Algona High School. She is a three-time state qualifier in cross country, earning a medal following a 13th-place finish in 2021, while also earning All-Conference honors in the North Central Conference four times. She is a two-time state qualifier in track, finishing sixth in the 3,000 in 2022. She has personal bests of 19:35 in the 5K and 11:01 in the 3,000. The National Honor Society member plans to study education at South Dakota.
 
Tyler Laughlin | Throws | Shenandoah, Iowa | Shenandoah HS
Hailing from Shenandoah, Iowa, Laughlin competed in track and field and basketball while at Shenandoah High School. He is a two-time state qualifier in the discus and finished fifth in Class 2A as a junior in 2022. He owns personal best efforts of 48-6 (shot put), 158-9 (discus) and 55-0 (weight throw). The Athletic-Academic Achievement award winner plans to study political science at South Dakota.
 
 
Piercze Marshall | Distance | Omaha, Neb. | Millard West HS
 
Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Marshall competed in track and field as well as cross country for Millard West High School. In cross country, he was a seven-time state medalist, a four-time state qualifier and three-time state place winner who helped the Wildcats finish as the state runners-up as a team all four years. He placed seventh in the Nebraska Class A state meet race as a senior after previous finishes of fifth and 15th places. He competed at the state track meet in the 3,200 as a sophomore and junior. He owns personal bests of 15:37 in the 5K and 9:32 in the 3,200. The multi-time Academic All-Metro team member plans to study mathematics at South Dakota.
 
Michaela Nesius | Sprints | Fargo, N.D. | Davies HS
 
Hailing from Fargo, North Dakota, the sprinter has been a part of two state championship teams and one state runner-up team at Davies High School. She is a three-time two event state placer and helped the Eagles win the state title in the 4x200 while finishing fourth in the 4x100 in 2022. She competes in USATF sanctioned meets for Team NoDak. She owns personal bests of 12.45 in the 100, 25.42 in the 200 and 59.16 in the 400. The honor roll student plans to study medical biology at South Dakota.
 
Maddie Olson | Jumps | Sheldon, Iowa | Sheldon HS
 
A three-sport athlete from Sheldon, Iowa, Olson participates in volleyball, basketball and track and field for the Orabs. She is a two-time state high jump champion in Class 2A and a Drake Relays high jump champion. She competed in the 200 and 400 at the state meet along with the high jump in 2022. She earned first-team All-Conference honors in volleyball where she produced over 500 kills in her career and helped the Orabs reach the 2021 state tournament. She owns a personal best of 5-9 in the high jump. The National Honor Society member plans to study elementary education at South Dakota.
 
Alex Pagel | Mid-Distance | Chandler, Ariz. | Perry HS
Pagel participated in track and field and cross country for the Perry Pumas in Gilbert, Arizona. She was a four-event state placer in track in 2022 and helped the Pumas become Division 1 state champions. She ran on a state title winning 4x800 relay unity while also placing fourth in the 800, mile and 3,200. She finished 15^th in the state cross country championships. She owns personal best times of 2:15.94 (800), 5:08.89 (mile) and 11:09.41 (3,200) while her 5K cross country best is 18:36. The AP honor roll student plans to major in either pre-med or biology at South Dakota.
 
Xander Provance | Hurdles | Chadron, Neb. | Chadron HS
 
Provance is a three-sport athlete competing in track and field along with football and basketball at Chadron High School in Nebraska. He captured gold in the 110 high hurdles at the Nebraska Class B state track and field meet, his time good enough to win the all-class gold medal as well. Also competed on a state qualifying 4x100 meter relay unit. He owns a personal best of 14.44 in the high hurdles. The gold honor roll student plans to study sports management at South Dakota.
 
Brandy Pulse | Hurdles, Sprints | Salem, S.D. | McCook Central HS
 
A native of Salem, South Dakota, Pulse competes in track and field along with basketball and volleyball at McCook Central High School. On the track, she was a four-event state qualifier in 2022 winning the South Dakota Class A state title in the 300 hurdles and finishing fifth in the 100 hurdles. She was an all-conference selection in the Big East Conference in both basketball and volleyball, helping the Fighting Cougars reach the 2021 state basketball tournament. She has a personal best of 46.09 in the 300 hurdles. The National Honor Society member plans to study health science at South Dakota.
 
Maddy Rohde | Javelin | Watertown, S.D. | Watertown HS
 
Rohde is a three-sport athlete who hails from Watertown, South Dakota, competing in track and field, basketball and volleyball for the Arrows. She is a three-year varsity letterwinner in track and field and earned a second-place finish in the javelin at the South Dakota Class AA state track and field meet in 2022. She has a personal best of 122-4 in the javelin. The National Honors Society member plans to study education at South Dakota.
 
Zack Schultz | Mid-Distance | Omaha, Neb. | Millard North HS
 
Schultz is a three-sport athlete while competing in track and field and cross country along with swimming and diving for Millard North High School. He is a seven-time state qualifier in track and field, competing twice in the 4x800 and 800 and once in the 1,600. He helped Millard North to a fifth-place finish in the 4x800 with a 1:57.1 leadoff split. He has won several USATF Nebraska Junior and Nebraska Youth Athletic Championship races. He owns personal bests of 1:57.67 in the 800, 4:24 in the 1,600 and 15:52 in the 5K. He plans to study exercise science and sport management at South Dakota.
 
Mae Siegel | Jumps | North Platte, Neb. | Saint Patrick's HS
 
Siegel is a volleyball and track and field athlete from North Platte, Nebraska, who helped her Saint Patrick's High School team win the Nebraska Class D state track championship in 2022. She is a five-time state medalist, earning three of those in 2022, with a third-place finish in the triple jump, a sixth in the long jump and running on a third-place 4x100 unit. She was a four-year starter in volleyball and two-year All-Conference selection who also earned Nebraska All-State honorable mention honors. She owns personal bests of 17-7 in the long jump and 37-6 in the triple jump. The National Honor Society member who is the Class Vice President plans to study kinesiology/exercise science at South Dakota.
 
Wyatt Stewart | Pole Vault | Richmond, Ky. | Madison Central HS
 
Stewart, who hails from Richmond, Kentucky, is a New Balance Indoor and Outdoor All-American in the pole vault. He is a two-time Kentucky Class AAA indoor and outdoor state champion, setting the state meet record in each. The three-time Region seven champion in the pole vault is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) who is active in the Madison Central High School theater. He owns an indoor personal best of 17-7 and an outdoor best of 16-7. The honor roll student plans to study performing arts at South Dakota.
 
Kailee Swart | Pole Vault | Fishers, Ind. | Cathedral HS
 
Hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Swart is a prep All-American in the pole vault. She competed at the Nike Indoor Nationals and the Adidas Outdoor Nationals. She was the Indiana Indoor State Champion while finishing fourth outdoors. The school record holder owns a personal best of 13 feet. The National Honor Society Member plans to study medical biology at South Dakota.
 
Geneva Timmerman | Distance | Adel, Iowa | ADM HS
 
Timmerman is a distance runner from Adel, Iowa, who is a four-time state qualifier in cross country and a multi-time state qualifier in track and field. She placed fourth in the state cross country race as a senior after finishing second, seventh and 20th the previous three seasons and owns a 5K best time of 17:58. She earned four medals at state track in 2022 with third-place finishes in the 3,000 and 1,500 and seventh-place efforts in the distance medley and 4x800 relays. The school record holder in the 1,500 (4:47) and 3,000 (10:15) was fifth in the longer race at state as a sophomore. She is a three-time Drake Relays qualifier in both the 1,500 and 3,000. The National Honor Society President, who attended Iowa Girls State, plans to study kinesiology at South Dakota.
 
Kennedy Wade | Sprints | Bennington, Neb. | Bennington HS
 
A sprinter out of Bennington, Nebraska, Wade enjoyed a strong junior season with three top two finishes at the Nebraska Class B state track meet. She captured the state title in the 200 while setting the state meet record of 24.71 and also placed second in the 100 and as a member of the 4x100 unit while helping the Badgers finish as state runners-up as a team. She holds school records in the 100 (12.18), 200 (24.71) and 4x100 (48.98). A member of the President's List who plans to study kinesiology and sport management at South Dakota.