SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams have high hopes as they head into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Mankato, Minn., on Feb. 25-27.  Events begin with the men's pentathlon on Thursday night. On Friday, heptathlon begins activity in the morning while field and running events at 1 pm. On Saturday, events begin at 12 noon at Mankato, Minn. 

No spectators will be allowed at the championships, however, fans and supporters can follow along with schedule, live results and live video available through links at the championship website: https://northernsun.org/tournaments/?id=74&path=mitrack. Follow USF Track & Field on social media with links to their twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts; find them all at usfcougars.com/socialmedia. Join the conversation with other NSIC Track & Field fans by using the hashtag #NSICIDTF. For live results, click here. To watch the meet live, click here. 

The Cougars have had a strong season so far this year, with multiple athletes giving career-best performances. Among those standout efforts this winter includes thrower Emma Hertz, who had set a shot put record earlier this year and had an NCAA DII automatic qualifying mark in winning the shot put with a throw of 52-02 or 15.90 meters (15.55 NCAA auto mark). She also set a school record and the top mark in the NSIC and second best in DII this year. Hertz's shot put broke her own mark by over two feet. She also set a school record with a second place finish in the weight throw as she had an NCAA DII provisional mark of 61-11.00 or 18.87 meters. 

Sophomore KaNya Henderson has been having another outstanding season for the Cougars, and will compete in the 60M with her qualifying time of 7.75 ranked 11th in the NSIC but just hundreds off the top-eight.

Senior Kayla Andersen will compete in the weight throw, after recording a personal best throw of 17.48m (57' 4") and hitting a provisional mark for the NCAA DII nationals, ranking her 24th in the nation. She recently placed sixth at the SDSU Last Chance meet, where she recorded the fourth best indoor throw all-time at USF. 

Junior Taylor Stoltz is another Cougar having a solid year, and she will be the lone competitor in the high jump for USF for women. Junior Steven Miner will represent the Cougar men in the high jump as well. Stoltz hit her NSIC Championships qualifying mark at the MSU Triangular, jumping a 1.62m (5' 3.75"), while Miner also hit his qualifying mark at the MSU Triangular, jumping a 1.88m (6' 2"). Ethan Holm represents USF in the heptahlon, which starts on Thursday, Feb., 25, and has been ranked in the top-10 in the NSIC all season.

David Eckert will be busy by competing in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and as a member of the 4x400 meter relay. Senior Aaron Voigt will also have an active weekend by running the mile, 3,000 meters and on the 4x400 meter relay. Jake Person has been solid in the pole vault and recently recorded a season best by going 13-11.5.

The Cougars will have 37 student athletes (19 women, 18 men) competing at the NSIC Championships in 33 different events (16, men; 17 women). 

USF History – How USF has fared at NSIC Championships

Last year, the Cougars wrapped up competition at the NSIC Indoor Championships with a top-six finish (55 points) for the men's team and an eighth place finish (34 points) for the women's squad. In total USF had 16 top-eight finishes, four personal bests, nine program top-10 marks, eight NCAA DII provisional marks, and a school and NSIC record in different events.  USF picked up a title in the Men's Distance Medley Relay with an NSIC record and NCAA DII Provisional Mark of 10:04.89.  Relay members included Zach Lundberg, Jayden Slaba, Logan Hansen and senior Billy Beseman. The four-person relay recorded the seventh best indoor mark in school history. USF's other record was by sophomore KaNya Henderson, who seems to break a school record every time she steps onto the track. Henderson broke her own school mark for a third time last year by clocking a 7.55, which was fourth overall and advanced her to the finals. Her time of 7.55 was also an NCAA DII provisional mark and ranked 12th nationally.  

2020-2021 NSIC Indoor Championship Qualifiers 

Women -- 

60 meters -- KaNya Henderson, Jr., Utica, Miss.

400 meters -- Emma Kenkel, So., Storm Lake, IA

600 meters -- Zoe Cigard, Jr., South Sioux City, NE; Cassidy O'Meara, So., Moorhead, Minn. 

800 meters -- Annika Aho, So.,Menahga, Minn.

1000 meters - Tianna Wald, So., Pelican Rapids, Minn.; Khot Joac, Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D.

Mile -- Lauren Wells, So., Brandon, SD

3000 meters -- Grace Beck, Fr., Denver, IA

60 hurdles -- Jailah Brice-Moore, So. Stockton, Calif.

4x400 relay -- Aho, Cigard, Brice-Moore, Mercy Oyadare, Sr., Sioux City, Iowa

High Jump -- Taylor Stoltz, Jr., Norfolk, NE

Pole Vault -- Carolyn Bradley, Jr., Lead, SD; Emily Swanson, Fr., Odell, Neb.

Long Jump -- Natalie Meyers, So., Kansas City, Mo.

Triple Jump -- Cassidy Noeldner, So., Fort Collins, Colo.

Shot Put -- Emma Hertz, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.

Weight Throw -- Hertz, Kayla Andersen, Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.

Pentathlon -- Emily Olson, Sr., Champlin, Minn.

Distance Medley Relay - Kenkel, Aho, Wald and Wells
 

Men -- 

60 meters -- Nate Andrusick, Jr., Cold Springs, Minn.

800 meters -- Zach Matzner, Fr., Marshall, Minn.; Wil Modjeski, So., Winona, Minn.

1000 meters -- Logan Hansen, Sr., Hurley, S.D. 

Mile -- Aaron Voigt, Jr., Gregory, S.D.; Ben Morrison, Fr., Bozeman, Mont.

3000 meters -- David Eckert, Jr., Eau Claire, Wis.; Voigt, with Christian Lietz (first alternative), Fr., Worthington, Minn.

5000 meters -- Eckert

60 hurdles -- Ben Mandel, Fr., Prior Lake, Minn.

4x400 relay -- Voigt, Modjeski, Eckert and Diego Jaimes, So., Sioux Falls, S.D.

Distance Mile Medley -- Jayden Slaba, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.; Matzner, Hansen, Morrison

High Jump - Steven Miner, Jr., Blooming Prairie, Minn.

Pole Vault -- Jake Person, Jr., Rapid City, S.D.

Long Jump -- Christian Riley, So.,  Montivideo, Minn.

Triple Jump -- Isiah Dancy, So.,  Cottage Grove, Minn.

Shot Put -- Dawson Davito, Fr., North Mankato, Minn.

Weight Throw -- Patrick Hagan, Sr., Austin, Minn.

Heptathlon -- Ethan Holm, Jr., Becker, Minn.