LINCOLN, Neb.–Only four collegians in NCAA indoor history have vaulted higher than 19 feet, ¼ inch. South Dakota sophomore
Chris Nilsen joined an elite club on Friday night at the Nebraska Tune-Up inside the Devaney Center by tying for fifth all-time.
Nilsen initially broke USD pole vault coach
Derek Miles' Devaney Center facility record by clearing 18-8 ¾. He then raised the bar to 19-0 ¼, a personal best height, which he made on his second attempt. Nilsen's height extends his own NCAA lead this season to six inches above the rest of the field.
On the international scene, Nilsen has the top height by an American during this indoor season by besting Sam Kendricks' 18-11 ½. He also ranks seventh on world leader charts this season.
Sophomore teammate
Ethan Bray finished runner-up to Nilsen in 17-2 ¾.
Clocking under five minutes in the mile for the fourth time this season, junior
Madeline Huglen won the event in 4:56.15. Freshman
Jonna Bart broke the five-minute barrier for the first time by clocking a personal best of 4:59.46 to take fourth. Sophomore
Kianna Stewart finished sixth in 5:02.35.
Senior
Ashley Thompson Ballew won the triple jump with a leap of 39-3 ¼. Sophomore
Samara Spencer finished runner-up in 39-2 ½. The duo also placed in the top-five for the long jump. Spencer took third in 18-7 ¼ while Ballew finished fifth in 18-3 ¼.
Sophomores
Helen Falda and
Makiah Hunt tied for second in the pole vault after clearing 13-2 ½ with no misses up to the height in the competition. Senior
Maddie Aune took fifth at 11-10 ¾.
Shortening her usual distance by 200 meters, junior
Mallory Fine clocked a personal best 1:36.03 for 600 meters. She finished runner-up in the race.
Junior
Joe Reagan added a second-place finish in the long jump. He cleared 23-0 ¾. Sophomore teammate
Ethan Toy leaped 22-5 ¾ for sixth.
The Coyotes posted a pair of top-3 finishes in the men's and women's 800 meters. Junior
Eldon Warner took second in 1:53.98 while senior
Lindsay Joyce clocked a season-best 2:16.34 for third place.
Sophomore
Zack Anderson placed third in the high jump with a clearance of 6-9 ¾. Junior
Deshonn Brown and freshman
Travis Larson tied for 10th in the event with a height of 6-6.
A week after breaking the school record in the event, junior
Lara Boman surpassed 60 feet in the weight throw again. She sent the weight 60-1 ¼ to take fourth. Sophomore
Emilee Shostrom recorded a personal best of 54-2 for 10th place.
Senior
Ethan Fenchel, the record holder on the men's side, launched the weight 65-11 ¾ to finish sixth overall. Assistant track and field coach
A.G. Kruger dominated the event with a toss of 71-11.
In the men's 3,000 meters, freshman
Seth Iverson posted a season best of 8:47.44.
Junior
Ben Hammer recorded a career best of 55-11 ¾ for sixth in the shot put. Senior
Jacob Barents added a 10th-place finish for the Coyotes.
The trio of freshman
Alli Wroblewski, senior
Cami Brenner and freshman
Danielle Thompson finished sixth through eighth in the 400 meters, respectively. Wroblewski led the group with a clocking of 58.48 seconds.
Sophomore
Tasheka Gordon clocked 7.77 seconds for sixth in the 60 meters.
Sophomore duo
Carmen Bermudez and
Britny Kerr took ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles with a clocking of 8.87 seconds.
The South Dakota women's 4x400-meter relay with legs from Wroblewski, freshman
Macy Heinz, Brenner and Fine took second in 3:54.83. The Coyote men took third in 3:24.65. Senior
Tomas Kamenik, freshman
Zion Piper, sophomore
Dennis Parsley and freshman
Noah Weeter ran legs on the men's relay.
Friday's meet served as the final regular season competition for the Coyotes.
South Dakota competes at the Summit League Championships next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, in Fargo, North Dakota.
