Coyotes shine at Dakota Realty Alumni Meet
The University of South Dakota kicked off the indoor track and field season on Saturday in the DakotaDome with the annual Dakota Realty Alumni Meet.
USD hosted teams from across the area including Augustana, Wayne State, Colby Community College (KS) and the University of Sioux Falls. The meet was also open to unattached competitors who included three time Olympian A.G. Kruger, who won the weight throw with a huge 73’0.75’’ toss.
After last year’s indoor track and field team won the Summit League, the expectations for this season are high and the team did not disappoint. USD’s athletes took home first place in 17 of the 30 men and women’s events.
Notable finishes for the men included sophomore standout Gawain Williams. Williams finished the 60-meter dash in 6.86 seconds, strides ahead of the rest of the pack. In men’s high jump last year’s Summit League Champion, junior Tyler Frank, continued to push himself and out jumped his competition by four inches Saturday to take home first place.
The USD women’s team also shined and won nine separate events.
One of the impressive performances came from senior Katie Wetzstein in the 3,000 meter run. Wetzstein dominated the race and finished a full 30 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor, her 9:59.5 time claims her the second spot in the USD record books.
Other top performances came from the USD women’s pole vault team, they grabbed the top three spots on the board thanks to senior Hunter Wilkes (13’5.75”), junior Emily Brigham (13’1.5”) and junior Madison Mills (13’1.5”).
