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Seven individual championships and a winning relay team helped South Dakota capture the men’s Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championship held at the DakotaDome Sunday and Monday. It is the first Summit League title in any sport for the Coyotes.
Four place winners in the 5,000-meter run, the second-to-last event, gave South Dakota the points it needed to edge North Dakota State. The Coyotes won the 1,600-meter relay for good measure to finish with 190 points. NDSU finished with 176.5 points. Kansas City was third with 118 points.
South Dakota junior Jeff Mettler was named Track Championship MVP. Mettler won titles in the 3,000-meter run (8:18.69) and the mile (4:11.18) and took third in the 5,000-meter run (14:40.28).
USD freshman Chris Nielsen won the 400-meter dash (50.28s) and anchored the winning relay team to garner Newcomer of the Year honors on the men’s side. The Coyotes swept the award with fellow frosh Amber Eichkorn earning Newcomer of the Year on the women’s side. Eichkorn placed third in the 3,000-meter run (9:55.43) and fourth in the 5,000-meter run (17:30.65).
South Dakota’s women placed third with 114 team points, four shy of second-place Omaha. North Dakota State captured its sixth consecutive championship with 186 points.
Coyote juniors Bethany Buell and Megan Glisar won Summit League championships in the pole vault and high jump, respectively. Both set Summit League records and program records, and both improved their spots on the national list. Buell cleared 14-feet-5.5-inches, the fourth-best vault in the nation. Glisar reached 5-feet-11.25-inches in the high jump, the 18th-best jump to date.
South Dakota Notes:
· Head Coach Dave Gottsleben was named Summit League Coach of the Year (men)
· Of the 17 events on the men’s side, South Dakota won eight and was runner-up in five
· Sophomore Kyle McKelvey defended his shot put championship with a throw of 58-feet-8.75-inches
· The 1,600-meter relay team consisted of Erik Hill, Jeff O’Connell, Lukas Bernard and Chris Nielsen
· O’Connell won the long jump with a leap of 24-feet-3.75-inches
· Senior Michael Burrus won the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.83s
· Junior Kyle Ballew won the pole vault with a vault of 17-feet-1-inch
· Sophomore Erik Hill was runner-up in both the 60-meter hurdles (8.16s) and the 200 (22.06s)
Men’s Standings:
1. South Dakota 190
2. North Dakota State 176.5
3. Kansas City 118
4. South Dakota State 85.3
5. Western Illinois 64.6
6. Oakland 22.5
Women’s Standings:
1. North Dakota State 186
2. Omaha 118
3. South Dakota 114
4. Kansas City 86
5. South Dakota State 73
6. Oakland 43
7. Western Illinois 34
8. Fort Wayne 9
Courtesy: Bryan Boettcher, USD
