VERMILLION, S.D. – After weather conditions caused the multis to be canceled at last week's USD Early Bird, the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon competitions have been added to this weekend's South Dakota Challenge, starting Friday afternoon.
 
USD EARLY BIRD INFO
With the added day, competition begins Friday at 3 p.m. at the Lillibridge Track Complex. The heptathlon and decathlon will begin Friday and conclude Saturday morning. Due to forecasted windy conditions Saturday, the men's and women's pole vault competitions have been moved to Friday afternoon. The women's event will start at 3 p.m. with the men's event scheduled to follow.
 
There will be no live stream for Friday's events. Live video will be available Saturday on the Summit League Network. Fans can follow all of the results this weekend live on Dakota Timing.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PEAK PERFORMERS
The Coyotes have compiled two Summit League weekly honors this spring. The full list of Coyote honorees this season by week:
 
April 1
Women's Field: Lydia Knapp
Women's Track: Averi Schmeichel
 
CONFERENCE LEADERS
The Coyotes play host to the Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships this May. After USD's second weekend of the outdoor season, these are the Coyotes who are competing this weekend with Top 5 results in the conference this season:
 
Men's:
Spencer Buley, pole vault, 17-4 ½, t-1^st   
Wyatt Stewart, pole vault, 17-4 ½, t-1^st  
Jaden Damiano, 400-meter hurdles, 54.1s, 2^nd  
Joe Lynch, high jump, 6-11, 2^nd
Quincy Warren, hammer throw, 195-7, 2^nd
4x100-relay, 41.32s, 2^nd
4x400-relay, 3:20.39, 2^nd
Evan Janzen, 400-meters, 49.23, 3^rd
Mason Sindelar, 800-meters, 1:52.16, 3^rd  
Mikael Grace, 400-meter hurdles, 56.26s, 3^rd  
Tre Young, pole vault, 17-0 ¾, 3^rd   
Caleb Rivera, 1,500-meters, 3:47.59, 4^th
Carsen Staehr, triple jump, 47-10, 4^th
Jaden Damiano, 110-meter hurdles, 14.15s, 4^th
Jaden Guthmiller, 100-meters, 10.62s, 4^th
Landon Olson, high jump, 6-9, 4^th
Tristan Gray, shot put, 53-2 ¾, 4^th
Dylan Curtis, pole vault, 16-6 ¾, 5^th
 
Women's:
Averi Schmeichel, 400-hurdles, 59.26s, 1^st
Lydia Knapp, discus, 172-2, 1^st
Marleen Mülla, pole vault, 14-8, 1^st
4x400-relay, 3:47.19, 1^st
Anna Willis, pole vault, 14-4, 2^nd
Averi Schmeichel, 100-hurdles, 13.73s, 2^nd
Lydia Knapp, hammer throw, 208-5, 2^nd
Maddie Olson, high jump, 5-8, t-2^nd
Cassidy Mooneyhan, pole vault, 13-9 ¾, t-3^rd   
Gen Hirata, pole vault, 13-9 ¾, t-3^rd  
Danii Anglin, high jump, 5-6, 4^th
Delaney Smith, shot put, 45-9, 4^th
Alexus Sindelar, 3,000-steeplechase, 11:08.25, 5^th
Alyssa Gerth, 10,000-meters, 38:26.89, 5^th
Matayah YellowMule, long jump, 18-9 ¼, 5^th  
 
NCAA LEADERS
As the outdoor season gets underway, the race to make the NCAA West First Rounds begins for the Coyotes. The top 48 accepted entries from both regions will attend the NCAA First Rounds.
 
The Coyotes led the Summit League with 21 entries a season ago. Here are the list of Coyotes that currently stand inside the cutline:
 
Anna Willis, pole vault, 14-4, 4.37m, No. 7
Averi Schmeichel, 400 hurdles, 59.26s, No. 26
Averi Schmeichel, 100 hurdles, 13.73s, No. 42
Cassidy Mooneyhan, pole vault, 13-9 ¾, 4.21m, No. 17
Dylan Curtis, pole vault, 16-6 ¾, No. 41
Eliza Aitken, pole vault, 12-11 ¾, 3.96m, No. 48
Gen Hirata, pole vault 13-9 ¾, 4.21m, No. 17
Joe Lynch, high jump, 6-11, 2.11m, No. 19
Landon Olson, high jump, 6-9, 2.06m, No. 34
Lydia Knapp, hammer throw, 208-5, 63.52m, No. 17
Lydia Knapp, discus, 172-2, 52.48m, No. 28
Maddie Olson, high jump, 5-8, 1.73m, No. 32
Marleen Mülla, pole vault, 14-8, 4.47m, No. 3
Spencer Buley, pole vault, 17-4 ½, 5.30m, No. 13
Tre Young, pole vault, 17-0 ¾, 5.20m, No. 26
Wyatt Stewart, pole vault, 17-4 ½, 5.30m, No. 13
 
Nationally speaking, a handful of Coyotes fall inside the top 50 in their respective events:
 
Anna Willis, pole vault, 14-4, 4.37m, No. 8
Cassidy Mooneyhan, pole vault, 13-9 ¼, 4.20m, No. 27
Gen Hirata, pole vault 13-9 ¼, 4.20m, No. 27
Joe Lynch, high jump, 6-11, 2.11m, No. 33
Lydia Knapp, hammer throw, 208-5, 63.52m, No. 28
Lydia Knapp, discus, 172-2, 52.48m, No. 45
Marleen Mülla, pole vault, 14-8, 4.47m, No. 3
Spencer Buley, pole vault, 17-4 ½, 5.30m, No. 21
Tre Young, pole vault, 17-0 ¾, 5.20m, No. 45
Wyatt Stewart, pole vault, 17-4 ½, 5.30m, No. 21
 
COYOTE TOP 10
The following Coyotes have either improved their standing or entered the all-time top-10 at South Dakota this spring:
 
Men's:
Sindelar/Nikkel/Hensley/Rivera, DMR, 9:46.63, 1^st
Caleb Rivera, 1,500-meters, 3:47.59, 3^rd
Jaden Damiano, 110 hurdles, 14.19s, 6^th
Quincy Warren, hammer throw, 195-7, 6^th
Spencer Buley, pole vault, 17-4 ½, t-9^th
Wyatt Stewart, pole vault, 17-4 ½, t-9^th
Natnael Kifle, 5,000-meters, 14:38.00, 10^th
 
Women's:
Lydia Knapp, hammer throw, 208-5, 2^nd
Anna Willis, pole vault, 14-4, 6^th
Maddie Olson, high jump, 5-8, t-5^th
Ecoffey/Stodden/Thomas/Fenske, DMR, 12:01.96, 6^th
Alexus Sindelar, 3,000 steeplechase, 11:08.25, 9^th
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
In the second week of the USTFCCCA Outdoor Rankings, the Coyote women's pole vault squad ranks first in the nation with their top four vaulters all ranked inside the top 30 in the country. The men's pole vault squad ranks sixth after their second week of competition, climbing two spots.
 
In other top events for the Coyotes, the women rank 12^th in the steeplechase and 19^th in the 400-meter hurdles.
 
The Coyote women rank 10^th in the Midwest rankings, second of any Summit League school in the region. The Coyote men are 16^th in the Midwest rankings. In the conference rankings the Coyote men and women both rank second in the Summit League.