DES MOINES, Iowa—The South Dakota women's 4x200-meter relay captured the Coyotes' first Drake Relays flag of the weekend in a record-breaking race Friday evening at the 114th Drake Relays in Drake Stadium.
 
The quartet of senior Erin Kinney, senior Jacy Pulse, junior Caelyn Valandra-Prue and redshirt-junior Sara Reifenrath won the 4x200-meter relay at the Drake Relays in 1:34.24. USD edged out the SEC's Kentucky by two seconds to take home the championship flag. South Dakota's time also bests its school record from last year by more than a second.
 
Reifenrath led into the relay by breaking the school record in the open 400 meters just two hours earlier. She finished runner-up in the open race with a clocking of 52.86 seconds. It marks her first time under 53 seconds outdoors, besting her school record from 2021.
 
Pulse also finished runner-up in her open event, clocking 56.54 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. Junior Averi Schmeichel took seventh in the same race with a time of 1:01.14.
 
Coyote alumna Emily Grove '17 captured the championship women's pole vault competition with a height of 14-4 (4.37m). Marleen Mülla, who's redshirting this spring, took third in 14-0 (4.27m) and senior Gen Hirata was fifth with the same height of 14-0 (4.27m). Senior Jaidyn Garrett was ninth in the championship section of the women's pole vault.
 
Freshman Carsen Staehr took fourth in the championship section of the men's triple jump with a leap of 48-9 ½ (14.87m).
 
Senior Meredith Clark took sixth in the championship women's shot put with a mark of 49-5 ¾ (15.08m) and seventh in the championship women's discus with a mark of 161-4 (49.18m).
 
Senior Ella Byers took 10th in the seeded women's 1,500 meters with a clocking of 4:35.99.
 
The Coyotes also qualified an individual to Saturday's final in each of the short sprint races. Kinney posted the top overall mark in the women's 100 meters with a wind-legal clocking of 11.36 seconds. Senior Dylan Kautz clocked a personal best 10.36 seconds to advance in the men's 100 meters. His time ranks fifth in USD history. Schmeichel tied her personal best of 13.68 seconds to advance in the women's 100-meter hurdles. Sophomore Mikael Grace also advanced to Saturday in the 110-meter hurdles with a preliminary time of 14.16 seconds.
 
The men's 4x100-meter relay quartet of freshman Jaden Guthmiller, junior Thomas Nikkel, senior Ardell Inlay and Kautz are also moving on to Saturday's final after posting a season-best time of 40.16 seconds. The mark ranks sixth in USD program history.
 
Action wrapped up Friday night with a weather delay following the women's 4x200-meter relay. Schedule adjustments will be made and posted on the Drake Relays social channels. The Coyotes return to action Saturday at the Drake Relays inside Drake Stadium.