VERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota track and field once again paced the Summit League in entries to the NCAA West First Rounds, held in College Station, Texas next week. South Dakota sends 19 individuals to account for the 22 entries.
This is the eighth-straight meet South Dakota has qualified 19 or more entries to the NCAA West. The Coyotes account for 22 of the Summit League’s 59 entries into the West First Rounds.
Nine of South Dakota’s entries come in the pole vault, five women and four men. South Dakota has sent six or more vaulters to the West each year for the last eight seasons. Beyond the nine pole vault entries, the Coyotes have three high jump (two men, one woman) and three throwing event entries.
On the track, three Coyote hurdlers (two men, one woman), one sprinter, and one distance runner made the cut for NCAA West First Round action. Three Coyote women advanced to the West in two different events.
The Coyote women advanced an NCAA West First Round best five vaulters this season. Marleen Mülla, the Summit League outdoor champ and a five-time all-American, enters the NCAA West with a season and personal best of 15-0 (4.57m). That height ranks No. 4 in the West. Freshman Anna Willis is right behind Mülla, holding the sixth best results this outdoor season with a personal best 14-10 (4.52m). Gen Hirata, a five-time all-American herself, and Cassidy Mooneyhan, a two-time all-American, both qualified for the NCAA West with season’s bests of 14-4 (4.37m). The Coyotes’ fifth qualifier is making her first NCAA West First Rounds appearance, as Eliza Aitken enters with the 33rd seeded height of 13-10 (4.22m).
The men’s vaulters are sending four individuals to NCAA West First Rounds as well, led by Tre Young’s Summit League Championship vault of 18-0 ½ (5.50m), the 11th best height in the NCAA West this season. Young is headed to his fourth NCAA West Preliminary. Spencer Buley, making his second NCAA West appearance, enters the preliminary with the 21st best mark of 17-8 ½ (5.40m). Both Beau Karst and Wyatt Stewart are making their first appearances at the West, recording personal bests of 17-4 ½ (5.30m).
Lydia Knapp, an honorable mention all-American in the hammer throw in 2023, has qualified for the NCAA West in two events this season, the hammer and discus. This is Knapp’s fourth NCAA West in the hammer, third in the discus, and third time in her career where she will compete in both events at the West. She is seeded 15th in the hammer throw at 215-4 (65.63m) and 22nd in the discus at 180-0 (54.86m), and both marks are school records. Delaney Smith will also compete in the hammer throw, recording a season’s best 191-5 (58.34m) at the Summit League Championships.
Mikael Grace broke the school record in the 110-meter hurdles at the Summit League Championships last week, and that time of 13.50 seconds qualifies him for the NCAA West with the 16th-ranked seed time. Grace is racing at his second NCAA West First Rounds. Freshman Jaden Damiano joins him in the race with the 36th-best time of 13.66 seconds.
Joe Lynch is jumping at the NCAA West First Rounds for a third consecutive season, entering with the 20th-best height in the men’s high jump field at 7-0 ½ (2.15m). Landon Olson, making his second West appearance, enters with the 31st-best height of 6-11 ½ (2.12m).
Sara Reifenrath, after focusing on the 400-meters a season ago, will run the 200-400 double for the first time since her freshman season in 2021. The school record holder in both events, Reifenrath is seeded 23rd in the 200 (23.12) and 30th in the 400 (52.86).
Averi Schmeichel (100m hurdles, 400m hurdles) has advanced in two events for a second consecutive season after making the preliminaries in both hurdle events last season. She enters the West with the 24th seed time in the 400 hurdles (57.88) and 30th seed time in the 100 hurdles (13.38).
Danii Anglin advances to the NCAA West for a fourth time in her Coyote career in the high jump. She has the 44th best height this season at 5-9 ¾ (1.77m).
Mason Sindelar also sneaks into the NCAA West in the 800-meters with a season’s best 1:48.56, a school record set earlier this season.
The NCAA West First Rounds are scheduled for May 28-31 in College Station, Texas.