The Meet

South Dakota's track and field program will split between three meets this weekend. The largest contingent heads to the west coast for the Aztec Invitational at San Diego State in California on Friday and Saturday. A handful of distance runners will race Friday at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State out east in Raleigh, North Carolina. A group of throwers will also compete closer to home Friday and Saturday at the Wildcat Classic in Wayne, Nebraska.
 

The Coyotes

South Dakota opens the outdoor season after sweeping the men's and women's indoor Summit League titles for the first time in program history.
 
The women went on to finish in a tie for 28th at the NCAA Championships with four All-Americans. Sophomore Marleen Mülla placed third and fourth-year junior Gen Hirata was eighth in the pole vault for first team honors. Junior Cassidy Mooneyhan was 14th in the pole vault and sophomore Danii Anglin was 13th in the high jump to join them. Junior Erin Kinney was the Summit League Most Outstanding Performer of the Championship and junior Abrielle Jirele was the Summit League Track Championship MVP. In addition to Mülla (pole vault), Anglin (high jump) and Kinney (60m, 200m), additional Summit League champions included Lydia Knapp (weight throw), Meredith Clark (shot put), Jacy Pulse (400m), and the 4x400-meter relay of Pulse, Anna Robinson, Madison Jochum and Hannah Young.
 
Fourth-year junior Dylan Kautz was the Summit League Most Outstanding Performer of the Championship on the men's side after breaking the only men's championship meet record on the weekend. Joining Kautz (60m, 200m) as Summit League champions were senior Jack Durst (high jump) and fourth-year junior Marshall Faurot (pole vault).
 

The Preseason Poll

Both the Coyote men and women have been picked first in the Summit League preseason poll for the first time in program history.
 
Returning for the Coyotes are 2022 Summit League Track Athlete of the Year Sara Reifenrath and Field Athlete of the Year Eerik Haamer. Reifenrath took home four golds at the Summit League Championships last spring, winning the 200 meters, 400 meters, 4x100 relay and 4x400 relay. She also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in both the 200 and 4x100 relay. Haamer was an All-American in the pole vault last spring with a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
 
Additional defending champions include Dylan Kautz in the 100 meters, Jack Durst in the high jump, Jacy Pulse in the 400 hurdles, Helen Gould in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Jaidyn Garrett in the pole vault and Danii Anglin in the high jump.
 
All four members of the women's championship 4x100 and 4x400 relays return. Joining Reifenrath on the 4x100 relay were Caelyn Valandra-Prue, Erin Kinney and Pulse, while Pulse, Valandra-Prue and Madison Jochum joined her on the 4x400 relay. Three of the four men on the championship 4x100 relay are back – Kautz, Ken-Mark Minkovski and Ardell Inlay.
 
In addition, Coyote freshmen Mark Daley, Bennett Schwenn, Kinsley Ragland and sophomore Caelyn Valandra-Prue were all named Summit League athletes to watch this season by South Dakota Director of Track and Field Lucky Huber.

The Competition

The distance crew will see a full field at NC State with athletes ranging from the Ivy League to Big Ten to ACC along with a mix of professionals. The rest of the Coyote squad takes on the West coast with teams from the Pac 12, Big 12 and schools throughout the Southern California area.
 

Up Next

The Coyotes venture south as we head into April, making their annual trip to the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, and the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, Texas, held March 30 through April 1.