MANKATO, MINN. – With seven program top-10 marks, four NCAA DII provisional marks and a school record in the women's distance medley relay, the University of Sioux Falls Track and Field Program had a big opening day at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships which opened on Friday at Myers Field House.

The USF Women's team finished fourth with 18 points while the Men's Team came in eighth with 8.5 points. The competition on Saturday will open with the women's pentathlon at 9 am. Field events will start at 1 pm and track events open at 1:30 pm with the mile run.

On the opening day of the championships, USF had a number of notable performances including a record-setting performance by the women's distance medley relay.
 

"We are very pleased with how things went today," said USF Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Doug Petersen. "We were very excited for the school record in the women's DMR. We had so many quality performance including that big time effort for Emily Swanson in the high jump in which she had a provisional mark and just off the school record. Emma (Hertz) had a nice weight throw and then you had some of the team members like Zach Matzner reaching the 800-meter finals and in the sprints with KaNya (Henderson) and Joseph (Donahue) having big days. We just hope to keep the momentum rolling into tomorrow," he said. 

A team of freshmen Morgan Gehl and Khot Juac along with junior Cassidy O'Meara and Emma Kenkel shattered the distance medley relay school record with a clocking of 12:06.02, which was an NCAA DII provisional mark. The squad, which finished fifth, bettered the 2018 mark of 12:25.55 (Rachel Huffman, Sarah Troescher, Laura Kunz and Tara Ceglowski) by over 19 seconds.

Sophomore Emily Swanson had a career-best mark in the high jump of 1.70-meters – 5-07, which is an NCAA DII provisional mark and a second place finish at the NSIC Championships. Her jump ranks second all-time at USF and just behind Sarah Gilbert who had a 5'8.75 mark in 2010. Also in the high jump freshman Abbigail Webb finished 10^th with a PR of 5-04.5.

In the weight throw at the Indoor T&F Championships, Emma Hertz finished third at the NSIC Championships with NCAA DII Prov. mark of 19.44 meters – 63-09.5. Kamry Lindsey was 10th with PR of 15.67 meters - 51-05. Mackenzie Bengtson placed 19^th at 14.45 meters – 47-05.00.

With a personal-best of 4.53 meters - 14-10.25, senior Jake Person finished tied for fifth in the pole vault. He bettered his previous indoor pole vault mark by 10 inches.

In the men's competition, USF had a fifth place finish from the distance medley relay which had its top time of the season. A squad of Caleb Rivera, Denver Decker, Zach Matzner and Aaron Voigt was clocked in at 10:17.26. Also David Ecker finished eighth in the 5,000-meters with the sixth with a clocking of 14:51.17 which is just off his season best this year.

Gracie Bucher (3:04.86, 10th, 5th all-time at USF), Tianna Voigt (3:04.90, 11th, 7th all-time at USF) & Cassidy O'Meara (3:05.78, 13th, 9th all-time at USF) all clocked program top-10 marks in the 1,000-meters.

Prelims – Qualify for Finals
KaNya Henderson clocked a season-best 7.61 in the prelims of the 60-meter to advance to the finals on Saturday and is ranked fourth. Her performance was noteworthy in that she had the second fastest 60-meters in school history, just behind her 7.55 in the prelims of the 2020 NSIC Indoor Championships when she was fourth with a 7.63 clocking in the finals.

Joseph Donahue clocked a personal-best 6.95 in the prelims of the 60-meters. His mark is the 2nd best mark in school history. He advanced to the finals with the eighth best time in the field. In USF record books, his 60-meter clocking ranks ahead of Leo Fenceroy (6.94, 2002) and only behind Jonathan Rowe's 6.82 clocking in 2018. He also finished 10th in the 200-meters prelims with a 22.57 clocking. Just off his PR of 22.38, Donahue's 200-meter mark is still fourth all-time in Cougars' program history.

In the men's 60-meter hurdles, Ben Mandel finished in 8.38 and advanced to the finals on Saturday. He is ranked eighth.

USF also had a season-best performance from Zach Matzner of 1:59.53 to move to the finals in the 800-meters.

Caleb Rivera recorded a 2:34.55 to advance to the finals of the 1,000-meters. It was his second fastest time of the season.
 
Other results –
Men
400-meters -- Denver Deckert, 18^th, 52.58.
800-meters – Wil Modjeski, 14^th, 2:05.33
60-meter hurdles – Landon Wenzerski, 21^st, 9.28 (PR)
600-meters – Diego Jaimes, 18^th, 1:28.99 (PR); Nicholas Muller, 19^th, 1:29.16 (PR)
800-meters – Wil Modjeski, 14^th, 2:05.33
5,000-meters – Micade Shumway, 12^th, 15:26.45; Christian Lietz, 13^th, 15:28.51;
Weight Throw – Patrick Hagan, 9^th, 16.99 meters – 55-09; Tyler Hiatt, 14^th, 15.89 meters – 52-01.75; Jaymeson Wolkow, 20^th, 14.63 meters – 48-00; Brett Deschler, 23^rd, 13.31 meters – 43-08
1,000-meters – Miles Olofson, 10^th, 2:36.43; Ethan Kraft, 12^th, 2:36.85

Women –
Pole Vault – Kenna Comstock, 16^th, 2.96 meters – 9-08.50
Long Jump – Olivia Baumberger, 13^th, 5.42 meters – 17-09.5 (PR); Natalie Meyers, 16^th, 5.31 meters – 17-05.25
5,000-meters – Kayleigh Whipps, 22^nd, 18:38.90; Karlee Simmons, 23^rd, 18:41.19; and Jessica Lutmer, 24^th, 18:52.88
800-meters – Annika Aho, 11^th, 2:23.47
200-meters – KaNya Henderson, 9^th, 25:53