Dominic Artis earned two first place finishes.

VERMILLION, S.D. – The University of South Dakota men’s and women’s track and field team’s finished first in more than ten events at the Derek Miles Open held in the DakotaDome on Wednesday, Dec.10.

In the opening meet of the 2008-09 season, Dominic Artis (Jr., Brooklyn Park, Minn.) led the USD men’s team as he earned first place finishes in two different events. Artis won the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.93 and then went on to earn a victory in the 200-meter dash (22.53).

South Dakota’s Rob Gregoire (Jr., Wakonda, S.D.) won the 3,000 meter run with a time of 8:55.92 and also earned a second place finish in the one-mile run as he finished with a time of 4:26.07. Sean Fitzsimmons (Jr., Yankton, S.D.) and Andrew Duba (So., Sioux Falls, S.D.) also placed well for the Coyotes as they finished third (9:17.09) and fourth (9:21.65), respectively, in the 3,000.

In the men’s fielding events, Ben Walters (Sr., Lennox, S.D.) and Scott Preston each won an event. Walters topped the men’s shot put competition (15-08m) and Preston won the weight throw (17.18,). Dustin Nowotny (RFr., Rapid City, S.D.) earned a third-place finish in the long jump (6.36m). Tane Owens (Sr., Pierre, S.D.) and Tony Arampatzis (So., Aberdeen, S.D.) earned fifth and seventh place finishes, respectively, in the men’s pole vault for USD.

On the women’s side, Shaneka Parkes (Sr., St. Ann, Jamaica) had a strong showing as she earned a win in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.72. She also finished second in the 60-meter dash (7.83). Jenessa Filler (Sr., Crooks, S.D.) finished right behind Parkes in both events as she finished in third (7.97) in the 60 dash and second in the 200 dash (25.96).

USD’s Rose Brueske (Jr., Woonsocket, S.D.) went on the win the 400-meter dash (59.49) for the Coyotes, while Ramsey Fitzsimmons (Jr., Yankton, S.D.) earned two victories, with the first in the one-mile run (5:00.64) and the second coming in the 3,000-meter run (10:15.32). USD’s Kelsey Maloney (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) finished second to Fitzsimmons in the 3,000 with a time of 10:31.60.

Emma Erickson (So., Gayville, S.D.) also recorded a win for USD as she posted a time of 2:15.63 in the 800-meter run to earn the victory.

In the women’s field events, Tia Hanes (Jr., White Lake, S.D.) finished third in both the triple jump (10.96m) and the long jump (5.11m), while Danielle Dornbusch finished fourth in the weight throw (14.86m). The Coyotes’ Megan Kahler (Jr., Dakota Dunes, S.D.) and Haley Peterson (So., Norfolk, Neb.) took third and fourth, respectively, in the pole vault.

USD’s next meet is the John Dalton Open on Saturday, Jan. 17 in the DakotaDome.