Emma Erickson

Madison, Wis. – Sophomore Emma Erickson won the 800-meter run and several other South Dakota track and field members improved their standing on the Great West Conference performance lists on Saturday at the Wisconsin Elite Invitational at the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center. The USD men finished fourth in the team scoring with 121 points, while the women claimed fifth with 97. The host Badgers won on both sides.

Erickson (Gayville, S.D.) ran 2:11.2 to defeat the field by over seven seconds and continue an impressive early indoor season, as she has finished in the top three in all five individual races so far and won three times. Sophomore Natalie Newman (Overland Park, Kan.) placed eight in the race, and senior Gable Andrews (Council Bluffs, Iowa) earned the same place on the men’s side in 1:57.

Junior Kenna Wolter (Santa Maria, Calif.) finished seventh in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 38-1 1/2 to jump to the top of the GWC list by over a foot. Sophomore Cody Linder (Plattsmouth, Neb.), junior Jeff Sebern (Brookings, S.D.) and sophomore Chad Pinkelman (Norfolk, Neb.) placed second through fourth, respectively, on the men’s side.

Freshman Steve Nelson (Springfield, Neb.) also moved to the top of the GWC list by busting a 48-6 1/4 on his first throw of the day in the shot put. The mark is nearly two feet better than his throw last Saturday. Likewise, senior Ramsey Fitzsimmons (Yankton, S.D.) ran a 4:57 to finish second in the women’s mile and move atop the GWC list. The only women in the conference to break five minutes in the mile this season, she also placed third in the 3,000 meters in 10:12 to move into first in that event.

The USD men continued to fair well in the sprints. Sophomore Bill Lane (Sioux City, Iowa) and freshman Matt Kerswill (Schofield, Wis.) earned sixth and seventh in the 200 meters in 22.56 and 22.59, respectively, and sophomore Jeremy Blount (Tampa, Fla.) placed ninth in 22.69. All three times rank in the top four in the conference. Blount also finished sixth in the 60 meters in 6.95, while Kerswill crossed the line in 6.75 for third. Lane was third in the 400 at 49.56 and freshman Alexa Duling (Gregory, S.D.) was seventh on the women’s side in 59.41.

Freshman Casey Shade (Hartford, S.D.) ran a 1:21 in the 600 meters for fifth, while fellow freshmen Ashley Sveum (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Carol Miller (Mead, Neb.) were ninth and 10th for the women.

South Dakota continues its indoor season with two meets next weekend also. The Coyotes will return to Lincoln, Neb., for the Frank Sevigne Invitational on Feb. 5-6 and also host the John Dalton Meet on Feb. 6.