The South Dakota Coyotes track and field team competed at three separate meets in California on April 19, achieving several top performances across the Beach Invitational, Bryan Clay Invitational, and Mt. SAC Relays.
The participation in multiple high-profile events allowed the Coyotes to secure nine top-10 finishes and update five entries on their program’s outdoor top-10 lists. These results reflect a busy weekend for the team as they tested themselves against strong competition from around the country.
Among Saturday’s highlights was Anna Willis clearing 14 feet, 11 inches in the elite invitational section of the women’s pole vault at the Mt. SAC Relays, placing third overall. Brandon Vander Sluis finished second in men’s shot put at the Beach Invitational with a throw of 59 feet, 2¼ inches. In distance events at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Isaac Ochoa (3:47.34), Natnael Kifle (3:50.12), Jade Ecoffey (4:29.89), and Geneva Timmerman (4:30.61) each posted times that ranked among South Dakota’s all-time best marks in their respective events.
Other notable performances included Beau Karst taking seventh place in men’s pole vault invite with a mark of 17 feet, 2¾ inches; Berkeley Engelland finishing fifth in women’s 800-meter invite; and Mikael Grace running a time of 14.06 seconds for seventeenth place in men’s elite hurdles at Mt. SAC Relays.
The team also recorded strong showings across various relay teams and field events throughout all three competitions held on Saturday.
Looking ahead, these results contribute to building momentum as South Dakota Coyotes track and field continues its outdoor season.
