SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The University of Sioux Falls Track and Field Team is gearing up for a busy weekend, including the Minnesota State Invitational in Mankato, Minn. on Friday, January 14 and the Mount Marty Opener in Yankton, S.D. on Saturday, January 15.  

The MSU Invitational will begin with field events at 2 pm on Friday with running events opening at 3:30 pm. For live results, click here. The meet program is also available by clicking here. The Mount Marty Opener is set to start at 1 pm on Saturday at the Ruth Donohue First Dakota Fieldhouse at Mount Marty.

Cougars Men's Team opened season Dec. 3-4 as Tyler Hiatt has big opening performance
Already at the SDSU Indoor Invitational on Dec. 3-4, Hiatt had a big performance in his first meet at USF. He finished second at the meet with an NCAA DII provisional mark and the second-best throw all-time at USF of 16.73 meters – 54-10.75 (Jordan Bents, 57-8.25, 2014). Hiatt also had the school's eighth-best throw all-time in the men's weight throw by tossing the implement 16.36m-53-08.25. Hiatt just bettered the throw of Patrick Hagan, who was 12th at 16.29m-53-05.50, a mark that ranks ninth in school history indoors. Also Jaymeson Wolkow's throw of 15.35m-50-04.50 was 10th all-time at USF and bettered his personal-best by two feet. In the discus throw, Hiatt was third with a throw of 48.88m-160-04.5 which ranks fourth all-time at USF.  Also at that opening meet, Steven Miner was sixth in the long jump at 21-00.5 while Zach Matzner finished fourth (4;29.17) and Justin Steffenmeier, 8th (4:34.10). In the 300 meter-hurdles, Ladon Wenderski was seventh (42.64) with Avery Stanford, eighth (9:45.07) in the 3K. 

Hertz leads Women's Team in opening meet by setting school record with pair of NCAA DII marks 
At the SDSU Indoor Invitational on Dec. 3-4, Hertz, a four-time All-American, shined in her first performance of the season. The senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., had a pair of NCAA DII provisional marks (shot put and weight throw) and a school record, just missing a second in a big day in Brookings. Hertz broke a school record and her own mark in the weight throw with a toss of 19.26 meters or 63-02.25. The mark bettered her own mark of 62-1.25 earlier in 2021. Then, she won the shot put at 15.15m-49-08.50 with a toss that ranks second all-time at USF just behind her own throw of 52-02 in 2021. Both of her throws lead the NSIC. In the shot put, she bettered several DI and top DII competitors in the events. Also for Hertz, she had a rare opportunity in the discus on Saturday. And, she captured the discus (normally an outdoor event) title with a winning throw of 47.21m-154.10, a mark which ranks second all-time at USF. Also for the women's team, KaNya Henderson also had a big opening day by clocking the second-best times in indoor school history. Henderson was fifth in the 60-meter day with a time of 7.70 which was just behind her top mark of 7.55. In the 200 meter-dash, Henderson was 10^th with a clocking of 25.38, which was just off her own school record of 25.35 in 2020.

Sophomore Emily Swanson also had an NCAA DII provisional mark by placing fifth with 3, 278 points in the pentathlon. Her performance ranks second all-time (Katlyn Sawtelle, 3,733, 2014) at USF. She scored 800 points in the 60 hurdles at 9.54; 795 points in the high jump at 5-05; 531 points in the shot put with a throw of 32-11; 456 points in the long jump at 15-01.5 and 696 points in the 800 meters with a 2:29.76 clocking.

Preview - USF Men's Track and Field -
In the NSIC preseason rankings, the USF Men's Track and Field Team is projected to finish 10th, according to a coaches poll released before the season. As such, USF will look to improve on its 12^th place finish of a year ago with a group of talented returners and newcomers. Directed by USF Director of Track and Field Doug Petersen, the Cougars has a long history of success with a sixth place indoor finish in 2019-20, third in in 2018-19, second in 2016-17, sixth in 2015-16; third in 2013-14 and fourth in 2012-13.

This year, USF will lean on experience in the distance and field events. Junior David Ecker was named USF's Track Athlete to Watch as the school record holder in the 3K steeplechase (3^rd outdoor, 2021) and has had 15 top-five finishes in track and field/cross country. A CoSIDA Academic All-American and eight-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, he was All-NSIC in cross country with both Aaron Voigt and Jakob Hanna, who comprise a talented corps in the middle distance. Both Voigt and Hanna were named All-NSIC during the NSIC Cross Country Championships. Voigt, who had a team-best 28th finish at the NSIC championships after placing 12th at the NSIC Championships in cross country, has 12 top-five indoor and outdoor placings. Hanna, who was 20th at the NSIC XC Cross Country Championships and 52nd at regionals, will compete at USF in track and field for the first time this weekend. He is a transfer from NDSU, who at the 2021 Indoor Summit League Championships, finished second in the 3,000-meters at 8:18 and third in the mile at 4:09 while recording a seventh place finish in the 5,000 meters at 14:48.

Sophomore Tyler Hiatt is USF's Field Athlete to Watch after transferring to USF from NDSU where he had four top-eight finishes indoors a year ago. He is a multiple state throws champion in South Dakota as a high school standout. Ben Mandel earned points in the hurdles a year ago and along with Isaiah Dancy, Steve Miner and others should make hurdles/field events a solid group of watch this year.  

Preview of USF Women's Track and Field - 
The USF Women's Track and Field Team will strive to better its 12^th place finish of a year ago when the Cougars scored 20 points and had an NSIC title performance from Emma Hertz in the shot put. USF, which will be led by NSIC Field Athlete to Watch in Emma Hertzand middle distance and Track Athlete to Watch Morgan Gehl, has a strong record of standout efforts at the NSIC Meet. USF was projected 9th in the NSIC preseason coaches poll. In 2019-20, USF was 8^th; sixth in 2018-19; sixth in 2017-18; 10^th in 2016-17; eighth in 2015-16; eighth in 2014-15; and eighth in 2013-14. Hertz, a four-time all-American in the throws, is one of the team's leaders with 35 top-10 finishes and 19 titles with 10 second place finishes in either the shot put or discus and hammer throw indoor and outdoor during a stellar career. Hertz will lead the way in the throws and ranks as one of the best ever at USF. A four-time All-American, including two at the 2021 Indoor Championships, she was seventh in the weight throw and eight in the shot put at the DII indoor championships a year ago. Hertz recorded 35 top-10 finishes and 19 titles with 10 second place finishes in either the shot put or discus and hammer throw indoor and outdoor. In addition, Hertz won the NSIC indoor title in the shot put in 2021 with seven top-five finishes and five-top three results at indoor/outdoor NSIC Championships. In the 2020-21 indoor competition, she had 13 top-eight finishes, six titles and 10- top three finishes in the throws.  Gehl, who was All-NSIC in Cross Country after placing 22nd at the NSIC Championships this past fall, will lead a middle-distance group that includes Khot Juac, Karlee Simmons, Tianna Voight and Annika Aho. Gehl will compete in track and field for the first time at USF after a stellar career at Fulda, Minn., High School where she was a multi-place finisher. Juac, Simmons, Voigt and Aho also come back after strong seasons in cross country and during the 2021 outdoor track and field championships. Aho had a top three time all-time in the 800-meters last spring with her clocking of 2:16.37 which was 12th at the league championships. Voigt and Aho also were part of the distance medley relay that placed at the league meet.  Juac also had a top-10 time with her 4:40.62 finish in the 1,500 in placing 12th at the NSIC Championships. 

USF will also have strength in the field events, led by sophomore Natalie Meyers, who nearly placed in the long jump a year ago. Meyers has 16 top-five finishes in the sprints and jumps and was part of the 4x100 meter relay that was fourth at the NSIC Outdoors in 2021.  In the sprints, KaNya Henderson, who was all-American two years ago, will lead the away in the 60 and 200 meters. Emily Swanson will lead multi-event performers and strength in the field events while USF has several solid performers in the throws aside from Hertz. Also at the outdoor meet last spring, Meyers had a personal best and tied the eighth best mark in school indoor history by placing ninth with a long jump of 17-08. At the same outdoor championships, Henderson placed 11^th in the 60-meters with a season-best clocking of 7.72 and the mark ranks second best indoors ever at USF. She was also on the 4x100 meter relay.


After the busy weekend, USF will head back to Brookings, S.D. next week for the SDSU DII Invitational on Friday, January 21. From there, the Cougars will wrap up January with the Mark Schuck Open and Multi in Mankato, Minn. on January 28-29.