By: USF Athletics
Four Sioux Falls student-athletes were in action today at the 2013 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships, being held at the Neta & Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colorado.
By virtue of a finish inside the top eight, USF women's pole vaulters Brigitte Gross, Kayla Coffee and Kristin Majerus each obtained All-American status on Thursday afternoon.
Also competing today was Jazzelena Black in the women's long jump. The freshman finished in 12th place with a mark of 18-7 3/4.
Ranked fourth in the nation entering the weekend, Gross, a junior, cleared a height of 13-feet 1.5-inches to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place with senior teammate Coffee and Lauren Graham of Grand Canyon University. Coffee cleared each of the first four heights on her first attempt before stalling at 13-feet, five inches.
Both Gross and Coffee were also tabbed NCAA Indoor All-Americans in February.
After narrowly missing the All-American cut with a ninth place performance at the 2013 NCAA Indoor championships after clearing 12-1.5 inches, senior Majerus made sure of a top-eight standing by going over the bar at 12-9.5 inches to finish in seventh place overall. It is the first All-American honor for Majerus.
Ashland senior Katie Nageotte soared 14-feet, 5.25 inches to sweep the NCAA indoor and outdoor pole vault crowns this season.
Gross, Coffee and Majerus combined to earn 10 points for the Cougars, putting them in a tie for fifth-place with the Academy of Art (Calif.). Two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State University (Mich.) is in first place with 20 points.
Results:
