FARGO, N.D. – It's conference championships week for South Dakota track and field, as the Coyotes head north to Fargo for the Summit League Championships Thursday through Saturday.
 
MEET SCHEDULE
The three-day meet starts Thursday at noon with the women's hammer throw, followed by the men's hammer. Day one of the women's heptathlon and men's decathlon is scheduled for Thursday. An event that the Coyotes hope to perform well in, the men's pole vault, is slated for 4 p.m. Thursday. On the track, the lone final of the day is the 10,000-meters, starting with the women's at 7 p.m.
 
On Friday, action starts at 11 a.m. in the multis. The field events start at 2 p.m. with the men's high jump. Another event the Coyotes hope to perform well in is the men's shot put at 5 p.m.. On the track, the prelims in four running events are scheduled, with the lone finals being the 3000-meter steeplechase at 5:40/6 p.m.
 
Championship Saturday starts with the women's discus and triple jump at 11 a.m. The women's pole vault is at 1 p.m. On the track, the first event of the day is the 4x100 relay at 12:20 p.m., with the final running event scheduled for 3:15 p.m. with the 4x400 relays.

The full schedule of events can be found here. All times are subject to change.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Live results will be available on Hero Timing. Fans can also find a selection of live streams of the meet on the Summit League Network, with dedicated streams for each event.
 
COYOTES TO WATCH
Last year's Summit League Championships in Vermillion saw eight meet records set, including four by South Dakota. Two of those record breakers are back for their senior seasons this year and will be looking to do it again.
 
Mikael Grace set the men's 110-meter hurdle Championship meet record and South Dakota school record with a time of 13.50 at last year's championships, and he has won the last two 110-meter conference titles. His best clocking this season so far is 13.77, ranking him third entering this weekend. Standing in his way from a three-peat is teammate Jaden Damiano (season's best 13.65) and North Dakota State's Joshua Kyei-Baffour (SB 13.69).
 
Marleen Mülla is also looking to repeat as a conference champion with a meet record this weekend. At last year's championships, Mülla set the championships record with a clearance of 15-0 (4.57m), a then outdoor personal best, to win the competition. She cleared 15-0 ¼ (4.58m) last week at the USD Twilight, and will go for a meet record again this weekend. Teammate Anna Willis has also gone over championship record heights this season, clearing 15-2 ¼ (4.63m) this season so far.
 
Other athletes to watch include Coyote men's sprinters Ethan Baessler and Evan Janzen. Baessler has the third-best time in the 100-meters (10.35) and fourth-best time in the 200 (21.27). Janzen is second in the 400 (47.13) and fifth in the 200 (21.36).

Piercze Marshall has ran the Summit League's top men's 10,000-meter time this season at 30:41.37. In the men's shot put, Brandon Vander Sluis has a Summit League leading best of 61-2 ¾ (18.66m) this season. Teammates Tristan Gray (55-8 ½) and Tyler Laughlin (55-5) also enter this week in the top 10 in the conference.
 
South Dakota's men's pole vault squad has five of the top six clearances this spring, lead by freshman Caelan Harland's 18-2 ¾ (5.56m) clearance. Beau Karst is at 17-11 for the second best result this season and Wyatt Stewart is third at 17-7. Dylan Curtis, Dutch Neuweiler, and Owen Spartz are all also in the top 10.
 
On the women's side, Bre Dunn has the second best time in the 400-meter hurdles in the Summit League this season at 59.33. Three Summit League athletes have ran under one minute in the event. Kenya Harris and Rylie Hansen are hoping to repeat their indoor success by winning the triple jump and long jump titles this weekend after take the titles at the indoor championships in February.

Delaney Smith is the Summit League leader this season in the hammer throw at 202-1 (61.61m). South Dakota's women's pole vault squad has Willis, Mülla, Kailee Swart, and Ciana Stiefel competing this weekend.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE PEAK PERFORMERS
South Dakota made Summit League history this season, as the Coyote women swept the field honors for the outdoor season, making USD the first track and field program to accomplish this feat. The Coyotes have claimed 10 peak performer honors this season.
 
March 31
Women's Field: Delaney Smith

April 7
Women's Field: Anna Willis
 
April 14
Men's Field: Brandon Vander Sluis
Women's Field: Marleen Mülla
 
April 21
Women's Field: Anna Willis
 
April 28
Men's Field: Caelan Harland
Women's Field: Anna Willis
 
May 5
Women's Field: Marleen Mülla
 
May 12
Men's Field: Brandon Vander Sluis
Women's Field: Marleen Mülla
 
CONFERENCE LEADERS
The Summit League Outdoor Championships are scheduled for Fargo, North Dakota May 14-16. Here are the Coyotes in the top five of their events so far this season.
 
Men's leaders
110m hurdles: Jaden Damiano (1^st: 13.65)
10000-meters: Piercze Marshall (1^st: 30:41.37)
Shot Put: Brandon Vander Sluis (1^st: 61-2 ¾)
Pole Vault: Caelan Harland (1^st: 18-2 ¾)
400-meters: Evan Janzen (2^nd: 47.13)
Hammer: Quincy Warren (2^nd: 197-5)
Pole vault: Beau Karst (2^nd: 17-11)
4x400 relay: Janzen, Atwood, Hensley, Smith (2^nd: 3:11.93)
100-meters: Ethan Baessler (3^rd: 10.35)
110m hurdles: Mikael Grace (3^rd: 13.77)
Long Jump: Bennett Schwenn (3^rd: 23-10 ¼)
Pole vault: Wyatt Stewart (3^rd: 17-7)
200-meters: Ethan Baessler (4^th: 21.27)
400-meters: Braxton Smith (4^th: 48.02)
800-meters: Mason Sindelar (4^th: 1:48.97)
High jump: Landon Olson (4^th: 6-10 ¾)
200-meters: Evan Janzen (5^th: 21.36)
5000-meters: Isaac Ochoa (5^th: 14:11.16)
Shot put: Tristan Gray (5^th: 55-8 ½)
Pole vault: Dylan Curtis (5^th: 17-3)
4x100 relay: Bishop, Janzen, Tingelhoff, Snow (5^th: 40.91)
 
Women's leaders
Pole Vault: Anna Willis (1^st: 15-2 ¼)
Hammer: Delaney Smith (1^st: 202-1)
400-meter hurdles: Bre Dunn (2^nd: 59.33)
Pole Vault: Marleen Mülla (2^nd: 15-0 ¼)
Discus: Lillian Allison (2^nd: 160-1)
Triple jump: Kenya Harris (3^rd: 40-5 ½)
3000-meter steeplechase: Jade Ecoffey (4^th: 10:37.98)
10,000-meters: Geneva Timmerman (4^th: 34:47.01)
High Jump: Maddie Olson (4^th: 5-7 ¾)
4x100 relay: Rexilius, Harris, Larsen, Ringstmeyer (4^th: 45.84)
4x400 relay: Dunn, Thomas, Winter, Engelland (4^th: 3:45.01)
400-meter hurdles: Avery Winter (5^th: 1:00.72)
800-meters: Ellie Thomas (5th: 2:10.12)
Pole Vault: Kailee Swart (5^th: 12-10 ¾)
Javelin: Brei Christoffer (5^th: 137-9)

   
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