USD track and field teams earn eight wins at Vance Butler Invite

The University of South Dakota’s track and field teams competed at the Vance Butler Invitational in Sioux Falls on Saturday. Combined, the teams won eight events.

Women’s

Seven of the team’s eight wins came from the women.

Of the seven wins, the women claimed two relay titles including the 4 x 100-meter relay and the 4 x 400-meter relay. The women’s 4 x 100-meter relay team, consisting of freshman Monique Williams, sophomore Gabriel Williams and juniors Christina Roberts and Ashlea Johnson, won with a time of 48.32. The women’s 4 x 400-meter relay team won with a time of 4:00.19. The team consisted of freshmen Morgana Running and Anna Hyronimus, sophomore Ashley Sveum and junior Brittney Chambers.

Johnson and Williams of the winning 4 x 100-meter relay team also claimed individual titles for the Coyotes. Johnson won the long jump, jumping 17 feet 10 3/4 inches, while Williams won the 100-meter dash clocking in at 12.45.

The remaining three individual titles won by women’s team athletes went to senior Haley Juhnke, who won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.38, senior Jasmine Mosley, who won the shot put with a throw of 46 feet 10 1/4 inches, and junior Kenna Wolter who won the triple jump, jumping 38 feet 6 3/4 inches.

Additional top performances from the meet came from Hyronimus, Sveum and Running, who were on the winning 4 x 400-meter relay team. They placed third, fourth and fifth in the 400-meter dash, respectively.

On the distance side, sophomore Carol Miller placed fourth in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:20.62 and freshman Megan Hilson finished fourth in the women’s 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:15.13.

Other notable performances in the field events included sophomore Bethany Buell’s tie for second place in the pole vault with a 12 feet 2 3/4 inches. Sophomore Megan Meyer took fifth in the pole vault at 11 feet 3 inches.

Wolter won the triple jump and also placed third in the long jump at 17 feet 9 1/2 inches while senior Crystal Schiernbeck placed fourth with a jump of 17 feet 5 1/4 inches.

Men’s

The men’s top performance came from senior Tane Owens. Owens won the men’s pole vault at 15 feet 9 inches.

Additional top performances in the field events came from junior Cody Linder, who placed third in the triple jump, jumping 45 feet 10 inches while freshman Cody Snyder placed third in the discus, throwing 154 feet 4 inches, and fourth in the shot put, with a throw of 51 feet 4 1/2 inches.

On the track, senior Bill Lane placed third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.52, while sophomore Ethan Marquardt placed fifth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 15:27.06.

The USD track and field teams return to action this weekend at the North Dakota/South Dakota State Double Dual, April 9 in Yankton.

Reach reporter Emma Murray at [email protected].