Alexa Duling

Vermillion, S.D. - Just one week away from hosting the 2010 Great West Conference Outdoor Championships, the South Dakota track and field teams will make their final preparations for the meet by heading to the Nebraska Open this weekend. Competition gets underway at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Ed Weir Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. For a full schedule of events, click on the link above.

Last Time Out: Coyote Track Wraps Up Howard Wood Dakota Relays
The University of South Dakota track and field teams battled through windy conditions at Howard Wood Stadium last Saturday to conclude the Howard Wood Dakota Relays with several top-10 finishes.

Freshman Gabriel Williams (Sioux City, Iowa) posted the highlight of the day for the USD women with a personal-best 11.85 to win the 100 meters. The time ranks second on the Great West Conference performance list, as she is one of only three competitors to break the 12-second barrier. USD’s sprint medley relay also finished first with a 4:04, as the Coyote men and women combined to win three of the six relays.

Senior Danielle Dornbusch (Papillion, Neb.) continued to break personal bests with a toss of 130-9 to finish ninth in the discus. The mark moved her into third in the GWC. Fellow senior Jenessa Filler (Crooks, S.D.) notched a season-best 12.13 to claim fourth in the 100 meters and sophomore Christina Roberts (Omaha, Neb.) ran a season-best 12.48 for eighth. Roberts claimed sixth in the long jump in 16-8.

Other top-10 finishes included freshman Alexa Duling (Gregory, S.D.) with a 15.06 for fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, while junior Crystal Schiernbeck (Ida Grove, Iowa) was sixth in 16.14. Junior Haley Juhnke (Vivian, S.D.) qualified for the final with a season-best 15.16 in the prelims. Juhnke finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a 1:06.50. Sophomore Ashlea Johnson (Yankton, S.D.) was second in the long jump in 17-6 3/4, while senior Tia Haines (White Lake, S.D.) was fifth in 16-8. USD’s 4x400-meter relay earned second in 3:59.

The Coyote men were led by a standout performance from freshman Jordan Smith (Yankton, S.D.), who posted a personal-best 14.80 for fifth in the 110-meter hurdles. The time is the fastest in the GWC this season, as he is the only competitor to break 15 seconds.

Freshman Matt Kerswill (Schofield, Wisc.) crossed the line second in the 100 meters in 10.80, while freshman Brandon Kovash (Harrisburg, S.D.) was fourth in 11.04. Senior Dominic Artis (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) also qualified for the final.

Sophomore Chad Pinkelman (Norfolk, Neb.) earned sixth in the long jump with a leap of 22-6 1/2 and freshman Sean Keane (Sioux City, Iowa) posted a season-best 21-8 1/4 for ninth. Senior Corey Gross (Brandon, S.D.) claimed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles in 57.85 and fellow senior Rob Gregoire (Wakonda, S.D.) was 10th in the 1,500 meters in 4:03. USD’s sprint medley placed third in 3:29.

Walking
Saturday is also spring commencement ceremonies at the University of South Dakota. A total of 13 members of the Coyote track and field teams will earn their diplomas at a ceremony in the DakotaDome. Men's coach Dave Gottsleben graduates eight from his ranks, including standouts Rob Gregoire and Dominic Artis, while women's coach Lucky Huber sends five across the stage, including Jenessa Filler and Danielle Dornbusch. Former Coyotes Carrie Gonsor and Colte Haines earned their law and master's degree, respectively. A complete list of USD track and field graduates is below, while a release detailing all the student-athlete graduates will be posted on Saturday.

Name, Sport, Hometown, Major (Bachelor's unless otherwise noted)
Gable Andrews, Men’s Track and Field, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Business Finance
Dominic Artis, Men’s Track and Field, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Recreation
Danielle Dornbusch, Women’s Track and Field, Papillion, Neb., Criminal Justice
Jenessa Filler, Women’s Track and Field, Crooks, S.D., Biology
Carrie Gonsor, Women’s Track and Field, Pierre, S.D., Master’s of Public Administration/Law (JD)
Dylan Grau, Men’s Track and Field, Sioux City, Iowa, Biology
Rob Gregoire, Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field, Wakonda, S.D., Business Management
Corey Gross, Men’s Track and Field, Brandon, S.D., Business Management
Colte Haines, Men’s Track and Field, White Lake, S.D., Computer Science (Master’s)
Tia Haines, Women’s Track and Field, White Lake, S.D., Psychology
Terry Liggins, Men’s Track and Field, Omaha, Neb., Master’s of Public Administration
Kelsey Maloney, Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field, Sioux Falls, S.D., Psychology
Ben Oberle, Football/ Track and Field, Vermillion, S.D., Psychology

Erickson Earns GWC Track Athlete of the Week
USD sophomore Emma Erickson was named the Great West Conference Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced on April 28. The weekly honor was the second for Erickson this outdoor season and fifth of her career.

Erickson (Gavyille, S.D.) set two school records for the Coyote women at the prestigious Drake Relays on April 23-24 in Des Moines, Iowa. On Friday, she finished third in the 800 meters in 2:07.26 to break her own school record of 2:07.36 ran in 2008. The time is the fastest in the GWC this season by five seconds. The next day, she was part of USD’s sprint medley relay that set a school record with a time of 3:54.40 to finish sixth.

Rolling Through the Records
The Coyote women have quietly crafted a great season during the 2009-10 campaign. They have broken eight school records (four indoor and four outdoor) and sophomore Emma Erickson has had a hand in four of those. Erickson has broken both the indoor and outdoor 800 meter records this season. The USD women have also broken one DakotaDome record.

Ranking South Dakota
The Coyotes enter the final weekend before the GWC Championships leading the conference in nine events. Check out where all USD track athletes rank in the Great West Conference with the GWC Outdoor Performance List.

Coaches Pick Coyotes Second
The USD track and field teams were picked to finish second at the 2010 Great West Conference Outdoor Championships, according to a preseason coaches poll released by the league on April 1. USD, which captured titles at the GWC Indoor Championships in February, was edged out in both the men's and women's voting by Utah Valley, which was selected to win both outdoor titles.

On the men's side, USD finished with 59 points and three first-place votes. Utah Valley finished with 61 points and received five first-place votes. On the women's side, the top two spots were identical. USD finished with 59 points and three first-place votes, with Utah Valley receiving 61 points and five first-place votes.

Up Next
USD will host the 2010 GWC Outdoor Championships on May 13-15 at Williams Field in Yankton, S.D. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. USDCoyotes.com will have a full preview of the meet next week.