DULUTH Minn. – With a strong showing on day two, the University of Sioux Falls Women's Team is fifth (29 points) in the team standings while the Men's Team stands ninth (9 points) at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Championships. The conference championships will conclude on Saturday with field events starting at 10 am and running events at 1 pm. For a rundown of event, click here for heat sheets - meet program. 

A year ago, the NSIC was unable to host the league meet due to the cancellation of the outdoor season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the 2021 championships has already provided a number of highlights. Today, USF had school records from Emma Hertz in the hammer (184-09, DII prov.) and Mason Phillips in the 800 prelims (1:51.57, DII prov.) while recording four NCAA DII provisional marks and a series of personal bests and 12 program top-10 marks.

"I felt that we had a good day at a really competitive NSIC Championship meet," said USF Head Coach Doug Petersen. "We had a lot of personal bests, a couple of records by Emma (Hertz) and Mason (Phillips) and numerous top 10 program marks. We will get back at it again tomorrow and see what we can do," he said.

Here is a breakdown –
Women -
Junior Emma Hertz continued her standout outdoor season. For the second time in the outdoor season, junior Emma Hertz has set a school record in the hammer throw by finishing second with a throw of 184-09 – 56.33m, which is an NCAA DII provisional mark and bettered her mark of 180-9.25 set at the Dordt Invite on April 1. Her throw today moves her up to third on the NSIC performance chart. Hertz also had a DII provisional mark in the shot put as she placed third at 50-02 – 15.29m.  She will also compete in the discus on Saturday where she is the league's leader with a seed mark of 175-10 (May 1, Wayne State Challenge).

Also in the throws, senior Jaimie McNamee was seventh in the hammer throw at 177-07.25-54.13m, which was an NCAA DII provisional mark. In the same event, Kayla Andersen was 13^th at 156-07.25-47.73m; MacKenzie Bengtson, 17^th, 151-03.5-46.11m; Miranda Phipps, 24^th, 143-07 – 43.77m; Bailey Rudebusch, 25^th, 135-08.75 – 41.37m and Cali Boden, 26^th, 135-00.75 -41.15m. In the shot put, Rudebusch was 17^th at 41-10.50-12.76m.

Senior Emily Olson placed second with 4,422 points & Emily Swanson was fifth with a personal best of 4,244 points in the heptathlon. The marks by Olson & Swanson, who scored a combined 12 meet points, rank third & fourth all-time at USF and their placings were career-bests. Olson had the second-best finish in the heptathlon (Katlyn Sawtelle, first, 2015) by a women's team member at USF in program history.

Breaking it down by events shows Olson finished first in the long jump at 17-02.25-5.24m and 626 points; second in the 100-meter hurdles by clocking a 14.99 and earning 843 points; was second in the shot put at 34-04.75 and 560 points; fourth in the javelin throw at 102.04.5-31.20m for 499 points; fourth with a clocking of 27.10 in the 200 meters for 704 points; placed 13^th in the high jump at 4-10.25 (1.48m) with 599 points; and was 13^th in the 800-meter run at 2:38.41 for 591 points. As for Swanson, she was seventh in the 800-meters in 2:29.86 for 695 points; sixth in the long jump at 16-04.25 – 4.98m for 554 points; 12^th in the javelin throw at 82-01.5-25.03m for 383 points, 13^th in the 100 meter hurdles in 16.03 for 711 points; second in the high jumpat 5-03.00, 1.60m, which earned her 736 points. The jump is a top-10 mark all-time at USF. Swanson was also 12^th in the shot put with her throw of 31-08-00 -9.65m. She received 507 points in the shot put. Swanson was 14^th in the 200-meter dash in 27.66 and that gave her 658 points.

In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Karlee Simmons recorded a personal-best in finishing eighth at 11:33.57. She cut 17 seconds off her best previous mark and had the third-best time in school history. Tianna Wald was 14^th in 11:54.28 which was her personal-best by just about 1:03. Wald's clocking ranks in the top-five all-time at USF.

In the high jump, Taylor Stoltz finished 12^th at 5-02-1.57m while Avery Bartunek was 19^th at 4-11.75-1.52m.  Swanson also placed 10^th in the pole vault at 10-10.25-3.31m. Anna Kenny was  18^th in the 400-meter hurdles with a 1:09.43 clocking, which was her PR and a top-10 program mark.
 
Prelims –
While Annika Aho and Zoe Cigard did not advance to the finals both USF runners had career bests in the 800-meter prelims. Aho's clocking of 2:16.37 ranks third all-time at USF and bettered her previous best of 2:19.76 by over three seconds. Cigard finished 13^th at 2:16.66 which ranks fourth all-time outdoor and bettered her mark of 2:17.00.

In the 200-meter prelims, KaNya Henderson clocked a 24.95 – her second best clocking – and finished ninth but did not advance to the finals. It would rank in USF's top three marks all-time. Also she had a 12.18 clocking in the 100-meter dash prelims which was ninth but did not advance her to the finals. That time by Henderson ranks among the top-10 marks all-time as well but short of her school record of 12.0.

In the 100-meter prelims, Natalie Meyers finished 18^th at 12.85 and Mercy Oyadare was 19^th in 13.21. Oyadare was also 17^th in the 200-meter prelims at 27.73. Emily Olson was 11^th in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.01.

Men's Breakdown
David Ecker finished third (9:17.54) while Aaron Voigt was sixth (9:32.61) in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase as USF picked up eight points in the event. Ecker registered the second fastest time in school outdoor history (owns record, 9:16.75). Voigt's clocking would place him in the top-10 all-time at USF but just short of his all-time best in the event (9:31.89).

In the prelims, Mason Phillips had a NCAA DII provisional mark in the 800-meter run with his clocking of 1:51.57 and advanced to the finals on Saturday. For Phillips it was a season best and an outdoor school record. In the same race, Logan Hansen was ninth, just missed qualifying, and had a personal-best of 1:53.35 (1:54.76, 2018, NSIC Outdoor Championships, Winona, Minn.), which is a top-seven program mark.  Zach Matzner was 25^th in 1:57.43 which was a PR by over a second.

Freshman Ben Mandel advanced to the 100-meter hurdles finals by clocking 15.41 for sixth place.

In the field events, Isiah Dancy finished 19^th but recorded a personal-best in the long jump 20-02.5 – 6.16m.

In the hammer throw, Patrick Hagan was 14^th with a toss of 150-00-45.22m. Also in the event Jaymeson Wolkow was 22^nd at 135-03 – 41.22m and Marek Rex, 27^th, 123-11 – 37.77m.
Dawson Davito was just short of his personal best in finishing 10^th in the shot put with a throw of 48-01-25 – 14.66m. In the same event Wolkow was 24^th at 39-05.25 – 12.02m.
 
 In the 200-meter prelims, Nate Andrusick was 19^th in 23.07. Steven Miner finished 11^th in the high jump by going 6-00.75-1.85m. Ethan Holm finished 14^th in the decathlon with 2,212 points.