EUGENE, Ore. – One Coyote women’s pole vaulter earn her sixth NCAA all-American honor while a second earned her first all-American honor at the NCAA Championships Thursday evening at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Gen Hirata and Anna Willis represented the Coyote women in the pole vault competition, and both received First Team all-American honors for their performance. On the track, Sara Reifenrath was an honorable mention in the 400-meters after a 20th place finish in the semifinals.
Hirata, a senior from Fredericksburg, Virginia, earned her sixth all-American honor in the pole vault, and her fourth outdoor honor in four tries. Hirata is now tied for the most individual all-American honors (6) by a Coyote woman in the Division I era, matching Emily Grove (2012-17) and Helen Falda (2018-2021).
She placed seventh to earn First Team honors for a third time in her career, clearing a season’s best 14-6 ¾ (4.44m). After needing three attempts to clear the opening bar of 13-5 (4.09m), she made the second height on her first attempt, then cleared 14-4 ¾ and 14-6 ¾ on second attempts.
Willis, a freshman from Colorado Springs, Colorado, earned all-American honors for the first time. She tied for fourth place at 14-6 ¾. Like Hirata, Willis needed all three attempts to clear the opening bar. Following the third attempt clearance at 13-5, Willis made 13-11 on her second attempt and both 14-4 ¾ and 14-6 ¾ on first attempts. Willis is one of two freshmen to make the NCAA Championships and is the lone freshman First Team All-American in the women’s pole vault.
On the track, Reifenrath’s first trip to Eugene ended with honorable mention honors in the 400-meters. She placed 20th with a time of 52.72. Reifenrath, a senior from Hartington, Nebraska, made the NCAA Championships after resetting her school record in the 400-meters twice, including a school record 51.91 in the quarterfinals.
The Coyotes conclude their 2024-25 track and field slate with the action Thursday evening in Eugene. In total, South Dakota earned two First Team all-Americans and two Honorable Mention all-Americans this season.