THIS WEEK IN SIOUX FALLS TRACK & FIELD
Sioux Falls track and field will be in Sioux Falls this weekend, as they compete in the 88th annual Howard Wood Relays May 3 and May 4. With 11 NSIC teams in the field, this weekend should serve as a preview of next week's NSIC Outdoor Championships, which will also take place at Howard Field. Drawing teams from throughout the region, the Cougars will also have the opportunity to see how they measure up with DI powers such as Iowa State, Minnesota and Nebraska. To follow the Howard Wood Relays live click HERE. A full event schedule can be found in the related links box.
BACK IN THE RANKINGS
Following a strong weekend performances at the Drake Relays and NSIC Multi Event, Sioux Falls women's track and field took the biggest jump of any team in the national poll this week, leaping eight spots to move to No. 22 in the latest USTFCCCA rankings announced Tuesday. Individual team, conference and national rankings can be found in the related links box.
NSIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2013 NSIC Outdoor Championships are set to take place on Fri.-Sat., May 10-11 in Sioux Falls, S.D. at Howard Wood Track - hosted by Augustana College. The Cougars were picked to finish third (women) and fourth (men) in the conference preseason coaches' poll. During the indoor season, USF's women placed third, while the men finished fourth at the conference championships.
NSIC MULTI CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
Katlyn Sawtelle placed second in the women's heptathlon with 4728 points at the NSIC Multi Event at Northern State held April 28-29. Representing the Cougars in the decathlon was Taylor Majerus and Carson Ricard. Majerus and Ricard finished sixth and eighth respectively.
The NSIC Multi is the first scored event of the 2013 NSIC Outdoor Championships. Thanks to Sawtelle, USF's women will begin the NSIC Championship with eight points. Majerus and Ricard also earned team points for the Cougars. On the men's side, USF will start with four points.
Sawtelle currently ranks No. 14 in NCAA DII for the heptathlon event.
NCAA QUALIFIERS
Automatic: Gross, pole vault (13-0); Coffee, pole vault (13-0)
Provisional: K. Majerus, pole vault (12-9.5); Courtney Crandall, pole vault (11-6.25); Gran, pole vault (15-10.5); Greenman, pole vault (15-10.5); Rogers, pole vault (15-4.5); Sawtelle, heptathlon (4728); Bents, shot put (52-7.25); Black, long jump (19-6.75) & triple jump (39-3.75)
LAST TIME OUT
Sioux Falls track and field competed at the Drake Relays, Mt. Marty Twilight, Gustavus Alternative and NSIC Multi Event last weekend.
Drake: Brigitte Gross and Kristin Majerus each cleared 12-9.5 (3.90m) in the women's pole vault to tie for sixth among an elite field of competition. Gross and Majerus now rank fifth and sixth in the NCAA DII in the pole vault event.
Jazzelena Black leapt a program record 19-6.75 (5.96m), bettering USF's previous mark by more than nine inches to become the seventh Cougar to meet NCAA provisional standards this outdoor season. Her mark is currently a conference-best and the ninth longest recorded in DII this year. She also became a provisional qualifier and NSIC leader in the triple jump after hitting a mark of 39-3.75 Saturday.
Danielle Moyer, Black, DeAndra Richardson and Brigitte Gross clocked a 47.83, the second-fastest time in program history, to secure a spot in the finals, where they would cross the finish in 47.99 for eighth overall. Their preliminary time (47.83) ranks second in the conference.
Mt. Marty: Jordan Bents began his weekend with a victory in the men's shot put title with a heave of 52-7.25 (16.03m) at Mt. Marty Friday night. He met NCAA provisional standards (16.00m) with that toss. Bents proceeded to place second in the men's hammer throw with a program record toss of 168-2. He followed up his efforts with top five finishes in both the men's shot and hammer throw events Saturday at the Gustavus Alternative meet.
Gustavus: USF tallied wins by Jagger Gran in the men's pole vault and Kristin Townley in the women's 110 hurdles Saturday at the Gustavus Alternative in St. Peter, Minn.
Gran locked up the pole vault competition with a mark of 15-9.25 (4.81m), while Townley won the 110m hurdles and finished runner-up in both the 400m hurdles and the triple jump. She had a winning time of 15.02 in the 110, while her 1:05.72 was good for second in the 400. Townley covered 36-10.5 (11.24m) to also claim second in the triple jump.
UP NEXT
USF enjoys their second straight weekend at home May 10-11, when they compete in the 2013 NSIC Outdoor Championships.
