VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota sophomore Ethan Bray vaulted the 11th-best mark in the nation to highlight a series of Coyote victories at the Dakota Realty Alumni Meet held Saturday on Hillenbrand Memorial Track inside the DakotaDome.
 
Bray cleared a personal best of 17 feet, 11 ¼ inches, to capture the pole vault. The height ranks 11th in the NCAA and second in the Summit League this season behind teammate Chris Nilsen. Bray's height also ranks second on USD's indoor record book. The sophomore duo are the only underclassmen ranked in the top-11 nationally. South Dakota is also one of two schools with two vaulters ranked in the top-11, joining Texas A&M.
 
Senior Ashley Thompson Ballew was the only Coyote to capture two events at the meet on Saturday. She won the triple jump in 39-3 ¾, a distance that ranks third in the Summit. She also won the long jump in 19-0. Senior Colette Christensen and sophomore Britny Kerr finished second and third, respectively, in the triple jump.
 
The league's leader in the women's mile, junior Madeline Huglen captured the event on Saturday in 4:59.82. Classmate Megan Billington finished runner-up while senior Erin Wetzstein took third.
 
Billington, the reigning Summit League Athlete of the Week, took home gold in the 3,000 meters later in the meet. She clocked 9:55.19 as she led another Coyote sweep. Freshmen Jonna Bart and Laura Nelson placed second and third, respectively.
 
Senior Shanice Cannigan crossed the finish line in 8.61 seconds to win the 60-meter hurdles. Cannigan tops the league and holds USD's record in the event with a clocking of 8.51 from earlier this season. Junior Alanisse Williams finished third.
 
To move to third in the Summit League this season, sophomore Britny Kerr cleared an indoor best of 5-6 ½. The height ties for 10th all-time at USD.
 
Sophomore Helen Falda captured her third pole vault title of the season with a winning height of 13-4 ½. Classmate Makiah Hunt and senior Maddie Aune took second and third, respectively.
 
Senior Ethan Fenchel launched the weight 66-1 ¾, four inches short of his own USD school record, to place second in the competition. Senior Jacob Barents placed third.
 
Junior Lara Boman posted just shy of a three-foot personal best in the weight throw. She sent it 59-1 ¼ for the second-best mark in USD program history. She also moves to fifth in the Summit this season.
 
The Coyotes swept the women's and men's 400 meters. Senior Brooke Ireland won the women's side in 58.25 while junior Brennan Schmidt took the men's race in 50.38. Freshman Danielle Thompson finished runner-up in the women's race and freshman Zion Piper placed third in the men's field.
 
South Dakota captured the top-three spots in the high jump with sophomore Zack Anderson winning in 6-8 ¾. Junior Deshonn Brown took second and sophomore Blake Vande Hoef was third.
 
Junior Karina Dufoe won the 200 meters in 25.58 seconds. Sophomore Tasheka Gordon added a third-place finish.
 
Sophomore Ethan Toy leaped 22-11 ¼ to capture the long jump. Alumnus Jeff O'Connell finished runner-up and Anderson added to his high jump title in third. Toy also placed second in the triple jump.
 
The Coyotes swept the top-three spots of the women's 60 meters led by sophomore Samara Spencer in 7.67 seconds. Spencer added runner-up performances in the long jump and high jump. Dufoe and Gordon took second and third, respectively, in their second sprint race of the day.
 
Senior Gawain Williams won the 60 meters in 6.90 seconds while junior Joe Reagan captured the 200 meters in 22.11 seconds. Reagan added a runner-up finish in the 60 meters as well.
 
The Coyotes took home victories in the men's and women's 800 meters as well. Junior Eldon Warner won the men's race in 1:55.62 with classmate Nate Wendt placing third. Junior Mallory Fine won the women's race in 2:16.14. Competing unattached, senior Nicole Schmidt finished second and freshman Macy Heinz was third.
 
Junior Nate Wendt won the mile in 4:23.85. The Coyotes swept the event with freshmen Cole Streich and Isaac Benz taking second and third, respectively.
 
Competing unattached, senior Jay Cooper won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.40 seconds. Freshman Noah Weeter placed third.
 
Junior Ben Hammer finished runner-up in the shot put in 53-1 with freshman Matt Slagus finishing behind him in third.
 
Plenty of Coyote alumni competed on Saturday as well, with a pair taking home event titles.
 
Danielle Waldner '17 captured the shot put in 49-2 ¼.
 
Brant Haase '15 led a pack of Coyote alums in winning the 3,000 meters with a time of 8.54.35. Junior Hunter Paulsen, competing unattached, took second. Jeff Mettler '14 was third in the race. Mettler and Haase have two of the top-three times in school history in the event from their collegiate careers.
 
The Coyotes split the squad between a pair of meets next Friday and Saturday. A contingent of Coyotes will head to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Tyson Invitational. Another group of Coyotes will return to Brookings, S.D., for the SDSU Indoor Classic.