EUGENE, Ore. – Four Coyotes are set to compete at the NCAA Championships in Eugene beginning Wednesday evening.
Tre Young represents the Coyote men competing Wednesday evening, while Sara Reifenrath, Gen Hirata, and Anna Willis represent the USD women who start competition Thursday.
Young is making his first trip to the NCAA Championships after recording a clearance of 17-5 ½ to advance at the NCAA West First Round. He holds a personal and season’s best of 18-0 ½ (5.50m) set at the Summit League Championships in May. The men’s pole vault is set to begin at 6:35 p.m. Central Time (4:35 p.m. local time) Wednesday.
The women’s pole vault will feature two Coyotes. Gen Hirata is returning to Eugene for a fourth time as a Yote, having earned all-American honors in 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24. Anna Willis, meanwhile, is making her first appearance as a Yote in Eugene. The true freshman has a season and personal best of 14-10. The women’s pole vault will compete at 6:35 p.m. Central Time (4:35 local) Thursday.
Reifenrath is the lone Coyote runner to advance to Eugene, and she will run in the 400-meters Thursday. The semifinals are set to begin at 7:41 p.m. Central (5:41 p.m. local) Time with the top-8 advancing to the final on Saturday. Reifenrath is making her first appearance in Eugene, and set the school record in the 400-meters at 51.91 at the NCAA West to advance to the NCAA Championships.
ESPN will broadcast the Championships beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time on Thursday and Friday. The broadcasts move to ESPN2 for the final two days of the Championships. There are also dedicated field event streams available on ESPN+.