April 17, 2024

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION BRIEF McCrory Project and renovations

JORDAN ROEMELING Asst. Entertainment Editor

Senators approved the Student Nurses’Association-Sioux Falls and discussed future plans for campus at the April 15 Students’ Association meeting.

Open Forum

Representatives from the Sioux Falls Student Nurses’ Association addressed the Senate via Zoom hoping to expand the association to Sioux Falls.

The Sioux Falls Student Nurses’ Association is a duplicate organization, since both the Brookings and Rapid City campuses have the club as well.

The association aims to expand the club to Sioux Falls for organization and inclusion for students in the College of Nursing. The program in Sioux Falls could have up to 48 students.

Chief of Staff Rylee Sabo supported the approval of the organization.

“I think it’s really important…to be able to get involved and do all the things that someone on the Brookings or Rapid City campus would like to do,” Sabo said. “As it is an equivalent program, so, I think that we should have equal opportunity in Sioux Falls as well.”

Committee and Staff Reports

SA President Trinity Peterson proposed a grant that will partially fund $100,000 for McCrory Gardens to upgrade the arboretum. This project will be voted on during the next SA meeting.

Peterson also mentioned discussing free period products in the Student Union with Government Affairs Chair Claire Koenecke and Finance Chair Grace Peterson. They plan to meet and discuss the idea further.

“We’ve heard great things about that on other campuses, so it’s something we’re really excited to pursue,” Peterson said.

The Senate’s General Activity Fee Strategic Plan was approved by the University Activity and Budgeting Committee and will move on to President Barry Dunn and Vice President for Student Affairs Michaela Willis for approval.

Peterson and SA vice president Hayden Bentz met with Dunn to discuss the travel policy for senators and the General Activity Fee Strategic Plan.

They also met to discuss the plans for renovations for Larson Commons.

“The work will begin on that renovation this coming summer, particularly along area of the main level of the Larson Commons area,” Bentz said. “So, we will be seeing some work going on this summer, and then hopefully will wrap that up very shortly…in this coming academic year.”

Bentz spoke about the Campus Master Plan which aims to improve the ‘physical space on campus in the coming years.’ Peterson and Bentz proposed ideas to Dunn that focuses on pedestrian safety, an improvement in outdoor lighting, especially on Jackrabbit Avenue and Medary Avenue.

Kimberly Grieve, who served as a temporary interim associate vice president for Student Affairs and special assistant to the vice president, bid goodbye to the Senate for Willis to step back into her role as vice president of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management.

New Business

The Senate added Resolution 24-1-R that would oppose the current draft for the Student Organization Travel and Field Trip Policy, and added the McCrory Project to partially fund upgrades the arboretum through a $600,000 grant. Both are scheduled to be discussed at the next meeting.

Announcements

Willis commemorated two South Dakota State University professors, Paul Barnes, dean emeritus of College of Education and Human Sciences, and Beverly Warne, the founder of the Native American Nursing Education Center in Rapid City, who both recently passed away.

The next SA meeting will be the final meeting of the year.

Reciprocity canceled: Minnesota students will be affected

BEN ANDERSON Reporter

The South Dakota Board of Regents has canceled the Minnesota reciprocity tuition rate, and will replace it with the South Dakota Advantage tuition plan.

Beginning this summer semester, new and transfer students from Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas will receive the South Dakota Advantage tuition rate. This rate aims to increase enrollment by saving students $1,600 annually.

But, the 2,290 Minnesota students currently enrolled at SDSU, including 635 first-year students, will continue to pay the full reciprocity price and miss out on saving that additional $1,600 per year until graduation, Shawn Helmbolt, the SDSU assistant vice president of enrollment said.

Reciprocity, a mutually beneficial agreement between South Dakota and Minnesota, ensures that students from both states paid a negotiated price at all public universities. Though higher than the in-state rate, this price was still more affordable than out-of-state costs.

The Minnesota reciprocity price is $312.25 per credit hour, while the South Dakota Advantage rate matches the instate tuition price of $259.10.

The South Dakota Advantage tuition rate is competitive with the new North Star Promise Scholarship, which gives Minnesotans with an adjusted families gross income of less than $80,000 free tuition at Minnesota public universities.

Helmbolt says the new plan will only work if current students continue paying the higher reciprocity rate.

“When states are added to the South Dakota Advantage program, there is a financial impact to the system,” Helmbolt said. “The only way that this is feasible for the Board of Regents is to phase them in and recruit more students that will make up some of that lost tuition from

the program.”

Helmbolt says students from Minnesota chose to attend SDSU at the reciprocity price and should understand its value.

“We feel that’s a high-value rate for them,” Helmbolt said. “A Minnesota student is paying a strong tuition rate with a lot of value under the reciprocity agreement.”

But, some Jackrabbits from Minnesota are upset they will not receive the South Dakota Advantage rate.

Rian Solberg, a sophomore civil engineering student from Perham, Minnesota, says it is unfair that current students will pay $1,600 more than new students.

“I feel like I am being put at a disadvantage compared to newer students,” Solberg said. “My loyalty to this college is being penalized instead of rewarded. It’s showing me that SDSU cares more about bringing in students and that they don’t care about the students who are already here.”

Students, like Solberg, wonder why there has not been more of an explanation as to why current students will not receive the decrease in tuition.

“At the very least, students like me deserve a good reasoning as to why we

should pay more than newer students and an explanation of how it is ethically right to do this,” Solberg said.

Solberg is not alone. Myles Muetzel, a freshman from Renville, Minnesota, says the administration “cares more about profit than anything else.”

Nathan Lahr, a freshman agricultural business student from Sauk Centre, Minnesota, also has grown upset with South Dakota universities.

“Before, I felt as if they [the administration] cared and valued me,” Lahr said. “Now, I just don’t get that feeling anymore. I’m just a dollar sign to them; a $1,600 per year dollar sign.” Lahr now considers transferring to Minnesota, to feel appreciated and valued.

“Now that South Dakota [State] isn’t competitive for me as a student already attending the school, I might consider transferring to a Minnesota school that values my attendance more,” Lahr said.

The Director of Communications for the Regents, Shuree Mortenson, disagrees and says that Minnesota students will stay at South Dakota universities because of the value they offer.

“Regionally, our universities have the lowest total cost for students,” Mortenson said. “Forbes Business named South

Dakota the Most Affordable State to Get a College Degree, our public universities have the highest return on investment in the country, and currently, our students hold the second lowest student debt balance in the nation.

George Langlett, an economics professor from SDSU, analyzes this problem from a professional perspective.

“Anytime, in economics and political science, you have a policy change, you have intended consequences and unintended consequences,” Langlett said. “I think the administration was looking at the intended consequences, and I think the students are raising some concerns regarding unintended consequences.”

“When there is a serious discrepancy in terms of viewpoints, I think one of the most important things we can do is simply communicate,” Langlett added.

Although many students are upset about this issue, Helmbolt says they can always reach out for help.

“We realize that decisions like this are challenging for current students,” Helmbolt said. “We hope that current students recognize the value that they are receiving from their SDSU degree and their SDSU experience in the reciprocity program.”

Helmbolt offers students to reach out with their concerns and work with the staff to find possible solutions.

“For Minnesota students who are concerned about the additional $1,600 in tuition,…visit with our admissions office and financial aid office,” Helmbolt said. “Our staff will work with them personally to see what opportunities would be available.”

If students want to express their opinion on this issue, Mortenson reminds them that they “are always welcome to make public comments at any Board of Regents meeting,” or they can reach out online at the Regents contact directory.

Shawn Helmbolt

George Langlett

MADELINE MCGEE Reporter

The South Dakota State University athletics program has spent more than $150 million on facility improvements in the last 16 years and the upgrades are paying off.

Following these renovations, Jackrabbit athletics has been improving as well. Almost every sport has benefitted from the upgrades and the increase in the quality of athletics has shown that, said Jeff Holm, senior associate athletic director for Facilities and Operations.

The SDSU football team has won the FCS National Championship the past two years, going undefeated in their 2023 season. The men and women’s basketball teams both won their respective conference title games and participated in the NCAA Tournament this past season and the wrestling team set a program-record, naming four Jackrabbits as All-Americans at the 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

“We are fortunate that whatever venue we are in, our fans show up and make it exciting,” Holm said. “This (First Bank & Trust Arena) is just going to add to that. Our fans have not been able to experience what they should have been able to experience, but now they will.”

These extensive projects were funded mainly by donors across the state and alumni but money also came from ticket and concession sales.

As the renovations in Frost Arena finish up, we look back on how SDSU has upgraded its facilities over the past decade and a half.

Stiegelmeier Family Student- Athlete Center

The $6 million project broke ground in 2007, marking the first construction on an athletic building at SDSU since 1973.

The Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center that began the sports facility renovation surge at SDSU was originally the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center. It was renamed in 2023 to honor John Stiegelmeier, the former Jackrabbit football coach.

Before the student-athlete center was built and the coaches offices were put in, football meetings and offices were located in trailers that sat behind a set of temporary bleachers. The trailers were rented to the football team and sat on what is now the east end of the stadium.

“One of the coolest transition things that I experienced was, we’d have pro scouts come that had been in the trailers that were in really tough shape and then they would come into that Dykhouse center and they’d think they arrived and went to heaven because things were so different,” Steigelmeier said.

The student-athlete center now faces the newly renovated football stadium and houses coaches offices, locker rooms, study centers and film rooms for the football team and other athletes to utilize.

Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex

The Sanford Jackrabbit Atheltic Complex (SJAC) houses a 300-meter track, 100 yards of synthetic turf and a fully accessible training room for sports medicine, athletic training, strength and conditioning, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, observation rooms and office facilities.

This $32 million project finished construction in 2014.

Over 550 student athletes use the space every year for almost every sport at SDSU, including football, golf, soccer, softball, baseball, track and field and cross country, Holm said.

Prior to the SJAC being built, there was no place for athletes to train in the winter on campus. A line of tall, green trees stood instead and the football players had to get creative with their training location.

“We practiced in the Fifth Street Gym (downtown), so when we made the playoffs late in the season we would have to wait for youth basketball or rec volleyball to be done,” Stiegelmeier said. “We could only practice with half of the team so the offense would practice and then the defense would practice.”

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium

One of the most prominent upgrades at SDSU was the $65 million renovation to build the Dana J. Dykhouse Football Stadium.

Coughlin Alumni Stadium had been built in 1909 and had only one side of stadium seating, where the press box was then located. Until 2007, one side of the stadium was lined with trailers and pine trees planted by Warren Williamson, who is now in the South Dakota State Hall of Fame.

“In the 90’s, we didn’t have meeting rooms. We never really had meeting rooms so we had to go to classrooms and it was kind of a hodgepodge,” Stiegelmeier said. “When I became the coach, we were given three trailers and six of our players renovated those to make meeting rooms/offices.”

In honor of major donor and alum Dana Dykhouse, the stadium was renamed the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

Current Football Coach Jimmy Rogers, played at SDSU from 2006 to 2009 and his facility experience was a lot different than it is now.

“When we first walked into our position meeting and it was a trailer, and they’re old and there is insulation falling from the ceiling, the power consistently goes out, there was no heat in the locker room, and mice would eat our equipment. You knew it was bad,” Rogers said.

The new stadium includes a soy-based turf field and seats just under 20,000 fans. It features stadium, suite and loge seating. Multiple bathrooms were added

throughout as well as concession stands for fans.

A 3,100-square foot LED video board, built by Daktronics, sits above the student section where The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band plays.

Frank J. Kurtenbach Family Wrestling Center

Prior to this new building, the SDSU wrestling team did not have its own space to practice and compete. Matches are still held in Frost Arena, but without their own area, it was difficult to compete at the Big 12 level.

The Kurtenbach Family, including Frank Kurtenbach, donated $4 million to allow this project to begin.

The new facility now houses four different competition mats, locker rooms, offices, academic study spaces and a strength and conditioning area.

First Bank & Trust Arena

The latest addition to the multi-million dollar renovations are the upgrades in Frost Arena. When the renovations finish in the fall of 2024, the name will change to the First Bank & Trust Arena.

Frost was originally built in 1973 and was named after R.B. “Jack” Frost, former SDSU coach and athletic director. During this rebuild, upgrades such as scoreboards at each end of the floor, a scorer’s bench at courtside, a newly repainted floor and an $80,000 sound system were added.

The new $53.1 million arena will include premium seating and suites, a “state-of-the-art” video board, a new sound system, more restrooms and a larger concourse.

What’s next for SDSU Athletics?

What seems to be the end of a long stretch of renovations and donations is only the beginning of more to come, Holm said.

There are more projects that Facilities and Operations staff are looking to move forward in the coming years such as an on-campus soccer stadium, turf fields for softball and baseball and a bigger space for a student-academic center.

Holm said the staff at SDSU is constantly looking at other schools and comparing the facilities to one another, looking to see what SDSU can improve or change.

“We want to make sure we utilize, not reinvent the wheel if we don’t have to, but then look at social trends that are coming up to find a good balance between what is needed and what the cost is,” Holm said.

These constant renovations and upgrades not only help bring in more athletes, but improve the quality of Jackrabbit Athletics as a whole.

“It gives you a fighting shot to get better talent on campus when you can explain that we have what you need,” Rogers said. “We are no different than a FBS school in a lot of ways. When the facilities are first class, it makes a difference.”

JEFF HOLM

Avera gift to SDSU to expand health care education, workforce

In an effort to support health sciences and future workforce building, Avera has made a generous gift to the South Dakota State University Foundation of its property at 33rd Street and Minnesota Avenue, expanding SDSU’s presence in Sioux Falls and providing a permanent home for its Sioux Falls-based programs in nursing and pharmacy at the SDSU Metro Center.

The 44,359-square-foot building has served as Avera’s Sioux Falls Home Medical Equipment location. The SDSU College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions has leased a portion of the building since last fall. Renovation on the future SDSU Metro Center, containing the Avera health education center for these students, will begin this summer and continue through 2025.

SDSU awarded 491 degrees in the health professions in 2023, more than any other university in the South Dakota Board of Regents’ system, according to the regents’ 2024 Factbook.

“We could not be more appreciative of the relationship we have with Avera and the vision their leadership has demonstrated with this transformational gift,” SDSU President Barry Dunn said. “The facility will provide a Sioux Falls home for our pharmacy and nursing programs, continuing to expand the connection SDSU has to the state’s largest community and the region. The ability to educate and train students in a community supported so well by the health care industries will not only advance our academic programs but continue to play a pivotal role in meeting the workforce demands of our state and region.”

“We are proud to work with South Dakota State University on this space for its health science majors. Expanding and scaling our workforce is a major priority for Avera, and this collaboration will help expand capacity for SDSU,” said David Flicek, chief operating officer for Avera. “We appreciate our relationship with our education partners. This gift helps to support Avera, Sioux Falls and the entire state of South Dakota.”

“This gift ensures SDSU’s ability to expand its leading role in meeting health care workforce needs of the state and Sioux Falls metro area,” SDSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dennis Hedge said. “The support Avera has shown through this generous gift allows us to continue to grow important academic areas and directly supports our land-grant mission of providing access to the benefits of higher education to support the citizens and communities of South Dakota.

We will train and educate students who will not only serve the communities in and around Sioux Falls, but those throughout South Dakota and beyond.”

“We’re thrilled to help with this expansion of access to SDSU’s nursing and pharmacy training programs. The demand in both areas is increasing, and both play an important role in the delivery of high-quality health care,” said Dr. Ronald Place. M.D., regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. “Avera is looking forward to working closely with SDSU students and educators on optimizing clinical training and job placement for the students who enroll in these programs.”

University officials say more than 400 students will be educated and trained in the new facility annually. That includes more than 150 students from the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions and 240 students within the College of Nursing. Of those, 160 will be pursuing undergraduate degrees; another 80 are in the graduate program.

The new SDSU Metro Center will include classrooms, skills labs for nursing, research space for pharmacy, and simulation labs and student study areas serving all majors.

“Avera’s gift brings pharmacy, nursing, respiratory

therapy, medical lab science and public health students together under one roof,” said Dan Hansen, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. “This gives our students the opportunity to learn alongside their future colleagues and collaborators, better preparing them to enter the workforce and care for patients.”

“This gift provides the space, technology and infrastructure to meet the practice-ready nursing workforce needs of Sioux Falls and the region,” said Mary Anne Krogh, dean of the College of Nursing. “We are grateful for their investment and this partnership.”

This is a continuation of a long working relationship between Avera Health and SDSU. Avera provided the lead gift for the Avera Health and Science Center that opened on the SDSU campus in 2010. That facility includes 97,000 square feet of teaching, laboratory and office space, and 48,600 square feet of research laboratory space.

Avera also supports scholarships and sponsorships for students, including support of nursing, medical lab science and other health care fields, as well as the Wokini Initiative, which provides opportunities for American Indian students.

— University Marketing & Communications

UNIVERSITY MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

A rendering image of the clinical lab space of the SDSU Metro Center in Sioux Falls.

Calving season offers researchers opportunities

Graduate student, others study feeding methods and their effects on calf development

RUTHANN HOLMES Reporter

The Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility is buzzing with life.

Calving season is in full swing, and with that comes the potential for new research opportunities. Assistant Ruminant Nutrition Professor Ana Menezes, Extension Specialist Hector Menendez and graduate student Meagan Wehrbein are utilizing these animals to study the effects of different feeding methods on pregnant cows during a critical period of calf development, and its prolonged effects on milk production.

The methods they use to find this are comparing two different diets - one is high concentrate, using a high energy feed, and the other is high forage, which is more grass hay. Menezes says this is significant to producers because during wintertime, forage quality declines or is not available.With this study they are also evaluating methane production by using Greenfeed system, water intake, colostrum quantity, and quality, after birth and milk production of beef cattle.

The system is an individual animal emission detector used to measure gas fumes of methane, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Greenhouse gas emissions are a serious hurdle that the cattle production industry faces today and, with more studies, can be improved which could lead to a smaller carbon footprint.

“We can have an idea of not only the amount of gases that are being emitted but also the pattern throughout the day,” Menezes said.

SDSU is only one of a few facilities that can do water intake data, said Cody Wright, Cow-Calf nutrition manager and SDSU professor. Menezes is taking that opportunity and determining how much water a pregnant and new mother cow drinks within a day on the proposed diets.

According to the USDA, colostrum is the milk produced the first few days after birth and contains important antibodies and growth supporters that are essential to calf health. By studying the effects of diet

types, on colostrum antibody production and overall amount, producers can better visualize the growth potential of calves.

In addition, the nutrient transfer during the cow’s gestation was also determined by collecting cotyledons from the cow’s placenta. Cotyledons act as a point of nutrient transfer between the cow to the calf while in their mother according to Menezes.

Wehrbein collected the largest cotyledon closest to the umbilical cord from the placenta after it was expelled after birth to look at the gene expression of glucose transporters. The researchers hope to see if the animals that were fed on a high concentrate diet had greater gene expression resulting in higher growing and performing calves.

Menezes and Wehrbein are also determining what they call a true lactation curve for beef cattle. This area has minimal research because it’s mostly studied within

dairy breeds of cattle. This could assist producers in when and how long they should supplement cows for the best possible milk production.

Milk production is assessed by total milk collections, from calf birth up to four months of age. After the initial four months, collections will take place once a month until the following October to determine the mother’s milk output over time.

The research still has a long way to go according to Wehrbein, but she is “very excited” to see the implications of this study. With the support of fellow students, this project could have major economic impact for producers because it should shed light on the feasibility of feeding different diets on long-term health, Kevin Vanderwal, agriculture research manager said.

Photo submitted by Megan Wehrbein Megan Wehrbein, a graduate student, draws blood from one of the cows at the Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility.

Photo submitted by Megan Wehrbein Graduate student Megan Wehrbein with one of the new calves at the cow-calf facility.

SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor Team aim to secure back-to-back championship

Competitions evaluate performance of tractors across various real-world agriculture scenarios

HAIDEN GRANDPRE Reporter

The South Dakota State University Quarter Scale Tractor Team is revving up to defend their title in Peoria, Illinois, later this year.

After their victory last year, the team now aims to secure a back-to-back championship, a feat that would mark a new milestone.

Hosted by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the annual Quarter Scale Tractor Competition challenges teams to design and construct a quarter-scale tractor from scratch. The competition evaluates the performance of these tractors across various tests mimicking real-world agricultural scenarios.

Philip Black, president of the Quarter Scale Tractor Club, explained the events that make up the competition.

“We first go through inspections, then we present our tractor to the judges and conduct a formal presentation,” Black said. “Afterward, we begin the performance events, including maneuverability, durability and a tractor pull.”

These events include different obstacles and scenarios in which the tractor is judged and scored. Additionally, the team has the opportunity to bring back their winning tractor to compete in the X-class.

Jayden Estebo, a junior agricultural and biosystems engineering student, elaborated on the X-class saying, “We made improvements to last year’s design; this is aimed at providing freshmen with a learning experience on how to enhance and establish the old tractor before taking on our new builds.”

Black emphasized that the X-class serves as a valuable learning opportunity

for new members before they embark on constructing the A-class (new) tractor.

Despite having dedicated meetings twice a week, team members are consistently found in the shop, working on the tractor whenever they get the chance.

“Last year’s win set a new standard,” Black said.

The team strives for excellence and to boost its name amongst the many large schools that participate in the competition. Those schools include Iowa State University, Purdue University, University of Nebraska, North Dakota State University and more.

As the team sets its sights on victory, they remain open to new recruits as graduating leaders prepare to leave. They want to stress that every major is welcome in the quarter scale tractor club, and that everyone can contribute in important ways.

“This club is open to anyone, and there’s a role for everyone, whether it’s driving the tractor, building, writing the written report, or assisting with 3D modeling,” Black said.

Samuel Nilsson, a sophomore ABE student, said he is excited to make the trip to Peoria with the quarter scale team this summer.

“This will be my first time going to competition with the team, and I cannot wait to see what the other schools have been able to produce,” Nilsson said.

With the competition drawing near, excitement continues to build among team members and supporters alike.

The SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor Team is excited to showcase their ingenuity, determination and their commitment to excellence as they set their sights on back-to-back championships in Peoria, Illinois.

SUNDAY, APR 7

UPD Daily Crime Log

The following were included in the University Police Department daily crime log from APR. 7 to APR. 13

• 5:57 p.m., Lot 160 - East Motorpool, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

TUESDAY, APR 9

• 2:23 p.m., UPD, False Pretense/Swindle

THURSDAY, APR 11

• 9:04 a.m., Binnewies Hall, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 10:24 a.m., Young Hall, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 8:23 p.m., Binnewies Hall, Intentional Damage/Third Degree Vandalism

• 11:52 p.m., Abbott Hall, Suspicious Persons/Vehicle

FRIDAY, APR 12

• 10:52 a.m., Binnewies Hall, Trespass

SATURDAY, APR 13

• 12:27 a.m., Meadows North, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

• 7:13 p.m., Bailey Rotunda,Possession of Fictitious License

• 9:53 p.m., Binnewies Hall, Intentional Damage/Vandalism

Photo courtesy of the SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor Team South Dakota State University’s Quarter Scale Tractor Team take part in competitions that include inspections, formal presentations and performance events like maneuverability, durability and tractor pull.

SDSU bull sale brings in record profit

RUTHANN HOLMES Reporter

South Dakota State University’s annual bull sale set a record this year.

The sale grossed $175,700 for an average of $5167.65 per bull, “the highest average we have ever had,” said SDSU professor Cody Wright.

The 32nd annual sale took place last Friday at the Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility North of campus. The beef seedstock and merchandising class operates the sale.

The class designed the catalog, produced sale videos and ran the sale.

Annie Reinke, an agriculture communications senior, said that the class, “Walks through the steps of running a bull sale”, and “it’s a great class for agriculture communications and for other majors.”

“I have attended many [bull sales] but never got the behind the scenes look to it all,” Grace Britton, a senior animal science major, said. “I have always had an interest in media and livestock photography, so this was a great way to kind of

THIS

get my feet wet.”

The sale consisted of 38 12 to 14-month-old angus and simmental angus crosses that are homozygous black and polled. Each bull is tested for Johne’s disease (Yonies) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and other genomic testing for performance data so the bulls can be free of disease and registered by the American Simmental Association and the American Angus Association. Several of the bulls were also seen and shown at Little International, a student ran livestock show earlier a week prior.

The highest selling bull was a simmental angus cross named S D S Stone Cold 3123L, which sold for $8,500 to a South Dakota buyer.

Wright said, if a bull is purchased they provide free delivery up to 200 miles. They have sold bulls to buyers all over the United States. This year, the sale saw 41 bidders from four states and 17 buyers were successful in getting a bull.

Kevin Vanderwall, the Livestock Unit manager, said a group effort is required to put on the event on sale day students are an important part of making it a success.

THURSDAY THE BLUE PLAGUE IS COMING TO SDSU

SOME TIP TO SURVIVE

• avoid high traffic areas if your riding bikes or boards

• order food in advance

• avoid the student union

• come early to classes

SDSU hosts Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo

EMMA HEIDEN Reporter

Over the weekend, the SDSU Rodeo Team hosted the 68th Jackrabbit Stampede at the Dacotah Bank Center filling the stands with 3,555 tickets sold. The team had a packed event with many individuals competing in different events including barrel racing, break-away

roping, goat tying, team roping and rough riding.

MaKenna Schentzel competed over the weekend with her horse, Clancy, in barrel racing after such a great weekend her favorite part was “The actual competing because it’s just me in my horse in the ally,” Schentzel said.

Ron Skovly has been head coach of the SDSU Rodeo Team

for the past 14 years. He says he and the team have stayed busy planning the stampede since November between advertising, practice and more.

“Thank all of our sponsors and everyone that came to support us. We appreciate them greatly and hope to see them come back next year,” Skovly said.

Freshman team and break-

away roper Swayze Ness had a great weekend competing in her first Jackrabbit Stampede.

“My favorite part about the Jackrabbit Stampede was getting to do the grand entry with my teammates,” Ness said. “The entire crowd was celebrating us and all of our accomplishments.”

“It was a very stressful weekend but [was] amazing to have

classmates and family come to watch,” Schentzel said. Overall, the weekend was a great success for the SDSU Rodeo Team when seeing the final results.

The Jackrabbit Stampede is only one of many different rodeos the team will attend throughout the year. The next will be in Spearfish, April 26 and 27.

Photo from HAILEY HEPPERTY PHOTOGRAPHY

Makenna Schentzel competing in the barrel racing event at this year’s rodeo. In this event, a rider attempts to race around barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. If a rider knocks over a barrel a five second penalty is added to their time.

RODEO RANKING

The men’s team placed 4th overall The women’s team placed 7th

Men’s All-Round

Seth Gaikowski-3rd

Steer Wrestlng

Kaden Wooters-2nd

Garret Arndorfer-8th Goat Tying

Victoria Skiba-3rd

Rayha Richert-7th

Opal Harkins-8th

Madison Rotenberger-9th

Kenzie Carlson-10th

Jordan Jehn-11th

Tie-down Roping

Seth Gaikowski-1st

Jace Ullerich-9th

Breakaway Roping

Jami Bergeson-8th Team Roping

Rafe Wientjes with Seth Gaikowski- 5th

Trey Frank with Riley Staton (BHSU) - 6th Barrel Racing

Alix VanderVoort-4th

Collegian photos by ZOEY SCHENTZEL

MaKenna Schentzel runs around the third barrel of a clean run on her horse Clancy during slack of Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo on Saturday, April 13. Schentzel is a freshman on the SDSU rodeo team who competes in barrel racing while studying psychology and agriculture science.

BSHU athlete competing in the team roping event. Team roping is where two people on horses attempt to lasso and completely tie down a full grown steer. This event is timed. Teams are ranked by how fast they are able to immobilize the steer.

The Historic Reveal of A Celebration at The Oscar

With a goal to raise $500 million for Jackrabbits, Bold & Blue is the largest comprehensive campaign in South Dakota history.

On April 25, we’ll reveal the final fundraising total, a moment seven years in the making.

Bold & Blue is historic; the celebration will be, too.

APRIL 25 6:30 PM

Free food & beverages - 6:30 pm

Outdoor concert feat. the Johnny Holm Band - 7 pm

The Historic Reveal of Bold & Blue - 8 pm

Presented by

Outdoor fire pit wins first-ever welding contest at 101st Little International event

GRETTA ANDERSON Reporter

SDSU student Beth Holst took home first place for Little International’s first-ever welding contest allowing students to showcase their innovative welding skills.

The winning project was an outdoor fire pit, made by Holst with tire rims, fence posts and horseshoes.

“Thankfully, I was able to find all my materials on our family farm and have the resources that it took to create the fire pit,” Holst said. “I wanted to create a fire pit that would serve a purpose such as a rack on the top that can be used for cooking purposes, holders for the roaster, as well as preventing burning wood from falling out of the pit.”

Holst used a 26-inch tire rim to cut the inside using a blow torch. She then cut a steel fence post into four sections before welding them to the tire rim. She then welded 13 horseshoes together on the top to be used for cooking or grilling.

After the fire pit was assembled, she grounded it down and finished it with flame-resistant black glossy paint.

Mitchell Vander Wal was selected by the executive team to put on this event.

“He was the leading man who could plan and carry through all of the planning for the contest,” Teigen Hendrick, the assistant manager of Little ‘I’ said.

The theme was outdoor use and there were three requirements. The first was that the material should be repurposed metal. The second was that projects should be able to be lifted by only one person. The third was that exhibitors must create project portfolios that demonstrate the process.

A total of six projects were submitted and made with various materials.

“Some of the scrap metals used were horseshoes, wheels, plow shovels and many more,” Vander Wal said. “Some of the projects that were submitted were a fire pot, horseshoe cross, large metal sunflower, tractor seat barstool, and many other things, just to name a few.”

The executive team, consisting of 18 South Dakota State students, chose the judges.

“Half of the judges came from the public, while the other half came from a select panel of agricultural mechanic professionals,” Isaac Berg, the manager of Little ‘I’ said.

The projects were on display at the Raven Corn Gallery, where people could cast their votes.

Collegian photo by Celene Holst

Beth Holst works on her project for Little International’s welding contest. Holst’s project, which was an outdoor fire pit, was made using a 26inch tire rim, fence posts and 13 horseshoes.

WEATHER OFTEN WINS

With season almost over, Jacks to make Summit home debut

The Jackrabbit baseball team will play a home series this weekend.

Finally.

After having their first two home series relocated to Omaha, the Jackrabbits are preparing to open their Summit League home slate against St. Thomas on Friday, nearly a month after their first home series was originally scheduled.

Entering the weekend, the Jackrabbits are 15-18 overall, 7-7 in the Summit League and are returning home off of a series at the University of Nebraska- Omaha, where they dropped two games after a strong start.

The Jacks now sit fourth place in the Summit League after losing six of the last 10 games. In this time the squad has been outscored 115-89 and while the bats have been working for the Jacks up to this point, the pitching has been the team’s biggest struggle.

Coach Rob Bishop, who is in his eighth season as the Jackrabbits head coach, said he’s confident about where the team stands in league play.

“We are in a good spot, from a conference standpoint. We are playing pretty good baseball,” Bishop said. “The exciting thing for me is, there is a better version of us out there.”

Bishop said that where the team is mainly lacking is with the consistency

on the mound. Through the first half of conference play, the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 6.98.

Senior pitcher Nic McKay, however, has been lights out on the mound, being named the Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week three times. He also holds the league’s lowest ERA at 2.08. He looks to be a big part of the series against St. Thomas as SDSU’s going to need their best against the No. 1 ranked team in the league.

“Being recognized and seeing hard work start to pay off is great,” McKay said. “However, having an offense that has been performing as well as ours, it makes it a ton easier on me as a pitcher. Credit goes to those guys.”

The offense that McCay is talking

about has been dominant. The Jacks lead the league in home runs and slugging percentage.

Cael Frost, an outfielder who transferred from Kirkwood Community College last fall, has led the charge and has been one of the league most dominant hitters. He ranks first in home runs, slugging percentage and on base plus slugging percentage, and sits second in a majority of other batting categories. And his teammates have taken notice.

“Cael Frost has been unbelievable… being able to be with him a lot and watching him take each step forward has been incredible,” senior outfielder Reece Anderson said.

Anderson has been another weapon for

JACK AMER Sports Reporter

Photo by GoJack.com Erv Huether Field.

“From a facilities standpoint, we are as fortunate as we can be with the SJAC. Having a turf field is the next step for us to be able to create the best situation that we can create... and we are working on it... I think that it is when, not if.”

Rob Bishop, SDSU head baseball coach

the Jackrabbits offensively, averaging .337 on the season. He recently led a near comeback from a 10-1 deficit against Omaha last weekend. With a three-hit performance, Anderson recorded a grand slam in the eighth inning, bringing the score to 10-8.

The lefty-batter loaded No.1 St. Thomas’ squad makes for an interesting first home matchup with the Jackrabbits. That said, it may sound a little weird to fans that it is nearing the end of regular season play just as the home games are getting started.

Blame South Dakota winters.

The weather has served as the team’s biggest obstacle between playing on Erv Huether Field, and being relocated to Omaha. It begs the question, with so much of South Dakota State’s front half of the schedule being on the road, how does this aect the team?

Bishop thinks that being a mid-major from the north, traveling for the first half of the season is just the standard.

“When you look at us, North Dakota State, St. Thomas, and other mid-majors playing in the north... you are going to play the first four or five weekends on the road almost regardless of the situation,” Bishop said.

This takes a toll on players, and on the team as a whole. At this point in the season, the team isn’t just looking forward to being at home to have the home-field advantage, they are looking forward to sleeping in their own beds.

“At the beginning of the year everyone is looking forward to getting on the road and getting out of the cold. But as the weeks go on, the travel starts to wear and tear on our bodies,” Anderson said.

As a team, the road brings them closer, and they stay in tune mentally just by being together, but the constant travel does no good for the recovery that a Division 1 baseball player needs.

“We are all used to it; it happens every year,” Anderson said. “These next few days, being at home, getting rested up, being able to cook our own food, practicing on our own field, all these things are going to help get everyone that’s beat up healthier.”

It has been quite some time since the team has been able to practice consistently outdoors on their own field because of the conditions outside.

As with most of the other athletic teams here, the baseball team has been mainly practicing in the Sanford Athletic Jackrabbit Complex.

Nick McCay pitcher the ball at Erv Huether Field in Brookings, South Dakota. This season, McCay has recorded 68 strikeouts and has an ERA of 2.08 while pitching in 47.2 innings.

“We are really fortunate with the “SJAC,” said Bishop. Obviously, practicing inside for a baseball team is less than ideal, but the team has found some solutions over the years.

“How we mitigate it is when we are outside in September and October, we think of what are the things we can’t work on in January and February, let’s double up and triple up in those areas,” said Bishop.

Bishop thinks that though his players are used to traveling, along with the players that he recruits, there are some possible solutions.

For instance, if the college baseball season started a month later, it would save at least six-fi gures in the budget for northern baseball teams. They would travel less, play more games at home and generate more revenue as a program.

The teams from warm climates in college baseball are put at a huge advantage.

In the last two decades, only two teams from places where it is known to snow in the winter months have made it to the college world series; University of Michigan and Fresno State.

And just as it is hard to be a baseball team in the colder climates, it is hard to want to watch baseball when it is cold.

According to the Summit League’s website, the Jacks averaged 126 fans at home throughout the 2023 season.

Their average on the road: 511.

Bishop does not think it is because there is a lack of fans wanting to watch baseball. But because nobody wants to watch baseball when the weather is uninviting.

“Go to a North Woods League collegiate game in the summer. Our guys will go play in front 4-5-6-7-8,000 fans on a given night,” said Bishop.

Another solution is a turf field.

“From a facilities standpoint, we are as fortunate as we can be with the SJAC,” Bishop said. “Having a turf field is the next step for us to be able to create the best situation that we can create... and we are working on it... I think that it is when, not if.”

The addition of a turf field would not only affect the team’s home games, but would open the field up to other community use as well.

South Dakota State’s baseball program would be able to host more camps during the summer and also tournaments. This would generate revenue for the baseball program.

Tickets at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, ticket sales for the basketball games at the new First Bank and Trust Arena, and the scholarship auction are all factors that play into the funding for the baseball program, according to Bishop.

However, it takes a lot more to get the project of a turf field moving.

“As a department, we have researched and had conversations with a handful of vendors regarding field turf for both baseball and softball,” said Jeff Holm, senior associate athletic director. “With that said, as is the case with most facility project, funding would have to come from individual donors or companies to support those projects.”

The department was unable to provide a timeline on the project, but the conversations are being had.

Coach Bishop believes that turf is a crucial step and that when this happens the program will really begin to take some strides.

Photo by DAVE EGGEN/INERTIA

BOSTEN MOREHART

Asst. Sports Editor

Jacks go 1-2 down in Omaha, return for series at home city

The Jackrabbit baseball team traveled down to Omaha this past weekend, going 1-2 against the Mavericks.

Game 1

In the first game, the Jackrabbits defeated the Mavericks 7-2 winning their third game in a row. Although the Jacks ended the game with two errors, they outhit the Mavs 13-5.

Senior right-handed pitcher Nic McCay allowed two hits, resulting in a run in the bottom of the first. McCay would go on to sit seven down, five by strikeouts remaining unbeaten on the year at 4-0 with 10 strikeouts, one walk and five hits.

In the fourth inning, after going without a hit for the first three innings and being down by one, junior outfielder Cael Frost hit a solo home run to tie the game up at one. On the next pitch, senior infielder Dawson Parry sent a pitch from Omaha’s Charlie Bell over the wall for his 11th home run of the season.

Adding a run in the fifth inning with an RBI single by infielder Jordan Sagedahl, the Jacks would go up 3-1. Frost added to his home run list with a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, putting the Jacks up 6-1 and hitting his 16th three-run home run of the season.

A Reece Anderson single would bring home pinch-runner Adam Benes in the eighth inning, scoring the final run of the game for the Rabbits.

Six Jackrabbits earned two hits during the game including Anderson, Frost, Parry, Cade Stuff, Luke Luskey and Davis Carr. The Mavs’ Henry Zipay had two of their five hits.

McCay was the winning pitcher for the Rabbits, going eight innings, throwing 112 pitches and lowering his ERA to 2.08.

Game 2

In the second game, the Rabbits fell to the Mavs 21-15 in a high-scoring game full of hits.

Sagedahl gave the Jacks the lead early with a triple that scored Anderson. Sagedahl then scored on a wild pitch putting the Jacks up 2-0, this lead would not last for long as in the bottom of the first inning, Omaha matched the Jacks, the first run off of a Drew Lechnir home run.

In the second inning, a solo home run by Anderson would put the Rabbits up by one, followed by an RBI single by Stuff in the third putting them up 4-2. This lead would then again not last as Omaha would gain the lead after earning four runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Head coach Rob Bishop believes that Anderson is finally coming back from early-season injuries and performing how he is capable.

“He’s back to being Reece and playing

really well, this last weekend was the first weekend where I thought we really saw the real version of him,” Bishop said.

Sagedahl put the Jacks back in the lead with a grand slam over the left-center wall. Two batters later, Parry added to the Jacks’ score with a solo shot, his 12th of the season.

Up 9-6, SDSU would earn their final lead of the game with a solo home run from Sagedahl in the sixth, adding two more runs later in the inning with a Luskey run-scoring double and a sacrifice fly by Jess Bellows, the Jacks would go up 12-9.

A bases-clearing three-run double from Cardel Dick and crossing the plate later on a sacrifice fly would put the Mavs up 19-15 at the end of the seventh. Omaha added two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, where the back-and-forth game would end.

Three Jackrabbits ended the second

game with three hits with Anderson, Frost and Parry. Stuff earned two. For the Mavs batting, Matt Goetzmann (3), Henry Zipay (4) and Bishop (6), Lechnir, Noah Greise, Jackson Trout, Dick and Trent Burkhalter all had at least two hits.

Pitching for the Rabbits, Dylan Driessen took the loss on the mound with one strikeout and four hits allowed. Taking the win for the Mavericks on the hill was Luke Gainer with three strikeouts and two hits allowed.

Game 3

In the final game of the series, the Jacks fell to the Mavericks 10-9 in a tight series final.

Omaha started strong with four runs to the Rabbits’ none in the first inning. The next two innings were scoreless until Luskey put SDSU on the board with an RBI double.

The Mavs would strike again in the fifth with six runs off of a run-scoring single from Dick, a solo home run from Goetzmann, a two-run homer from Burkhalter and a two-run double from Trout.

Holding Omaha scoreless the rest of the game, the Jacks put up eight runs but that wouldn’t be enough to top the Mavericks.

Coach Bishop was proud of his team and their offensive effort even though they came up short.

“I thought our offense competed great in game three, we had lots of barrels where we weren’t rewarded necessarily. In the last inning, we got three or four great swings and they just made good defensive plays,” said Bishop.

For the Rabbits, Jake Goble took the loss with five strikeouts, allowing six hits. Taking the win for Omaha was Harrison Kreiling with four strikeouts and five hits allowed, and Luke Gainer earned the save with two strikeouts, allowing one hit.

Photo by Mark Kuhlmann

SDSU’s Jordan Sagedahl swings at a pitch during the series against Omaha in Omaha, Neb. Friday April 12, 2024. Sagedahl had four hits on the weekend and two home runs in the series.

SDSU Softball continues their Summit League season undefeated after 3 games in Fargo

JORDAN RADDATZ Sports Reporter

South Dakota State swept another Summit League opponent in North Dakota State in a three-game series in Fargo and put focus on their next series out of conference before returning to Summit League play.

Game One (1-0)

A home run by Lindsey Culver was all the Jacks needed to take the victory in game one.

The sole run scored by Culver was posted in the top of the first inning. A combined six hits were recorded over the next six innings, but no runner reached home plate.

A steal by Mia Jarecki in the top of the third brought the Jacks closer to a run but would not get there. The Bison tried to steal a bag of their own but Brooke Dumont stopped the Herd in their trails.

Tori Kniesche earned eight strikeouts while allowing three hits and no walks. Junior pitcher Savy Williams struck out only one Jackrabbit allowing four hits and three walks.

Shortstop Rozelyn Carrillo finished the game with four putouts to her name in the field.

Culver, who hit .750, had two of the Jacks four hits while Dumont and Madi Conklin split the remainder.

Game Two (7-1)

Similar to its predecessor, Culver sent one over the fence in the first inning to give the Jacks the lead to start.

Cheyanne Masterson followed suit with a homerun of her own, making it a 4-0 game the next inning.

The Bison got on the board with a run by sophomore infielder Riley Leadstrom to avoid consecutive shutouts. Three additional Jackrabbit runs late in the game closed any chance of a Bison comeback as the game ended in a 7-1 victory.

Shannon Lasey pitched for the Jacks in game two, earning five strikeouts while allowing as many walks.

The freshman pair of Addie Bowers and Kaitlyn Dunford split pitching duties for the Bison, giving up a combined eight hits.

Culver finished the day batting at a .571. Senior outfielder Emilee Buringa earned two hits for the Bison, with three other players splitting the remainder.

Game Three (3-0)

The

A pair of runs from Jarecki and Culver put the Jacks up 2-0 in the top of the first.

The last chunk of scoring came off a home run from Dumont in the top of the third, marking the fifth homer of the series. Eleven strikeouts from Kniesche kept the Bison off the board in the 3-0 victory.

Eight hits came through for the Jacks. Culver hit another .750 game and picked up a weekly accolade from the Summit League Monday.

Kniesche allowed three hits, a hit by pitch and a walk for the Bison. She also earned a weekly accolade from the Summit League for the fourth straight week.

Now on an eight-game win streak, her ERA improves to 1.73 on the year.

“[Kniesche is] just a force,” head coach Kristina McSweeney said. “What makes her incredible is even with that set game plan, we have to make a mid-game

adjustment, and she almost doubles her strikeout numbers.”

Williams returned to the mound for NDSU. She didn’t record a strikeout until the top of the fifth and wound up with two more late in the game.

“I felt like as we were competing with [North Dakota State], they just continued to get better,” McSweeney said. “We had to change our approach [in] game three because of the adjustments that they had made.”

The Jacks stay undefeated in 11 Summit League games.

They take a break from conference play as they go to Wisconsin in a doubleheader April 23 and a single game at Minnesota April 24. A three-game series at home with St. Thomas will mark the Jacks next Summit League games.

First pitch is scheduled for noon on April 27 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 28.

Jackrabbits wrapped up their series in Fargo with their third win over the Bison this weekend.

Collegian photo by Bosten Morehart

Rozelyn Carrillo throws the ball to Mia Jarecki, standing on first base, to throw out a runner. This season, Carrillo has collected 72 putouts which is the third highest on the team behind Brooke Dumont (240) and Alli Boyle (143).

Jackrabbits’ spring game scrimmage previews 2024 football roster

JON AKRE Sports Reporter

The South Dakota State football team ended their spring camp last Saturday with the annual spring game inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex (SJAC).

The spring game not only gives the fans an early glimpse of what to expect this fall, but also a chance to see and learn about some new faces who could play a huge role next season.

Coming off their second straight national championship, the Jacks lost 15 starters from last year’s squad, including eight starters on offense.

The replacements don’t just stop with the players, but also coaching staff as well.

After losing Zach Lujan to Northwestern, the Jacks promoted offensive line coach Ryan Olson and brought in former North Dakota Offensive Coordinator Danny Fruend to be the new Offensive Coordinator and Co-Offensive Coordinator, respectively.

Barring a change of plans, the biggest piece expected to return to Brookings for one more season is the quarterback that’s led the team to Frisco three out of the last four years, Mark Gronowski.

Gronowski, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner played only one series of the spring game, but drove the newly formed offense right down the field on the opening possession for one of the three touchdown drives on the day.

The 12 play, 65-yard drive included Gronowski completing all five pass attempts for 38 yards and handing off to running back Angel Johnson for the two-yard touchdown.

From that point on the revamped defense got a chance to shine allowing just one first down in the next four possessions. Players like linebacker Cullen McShane, Aaron Kusler, and defensive end Dawson Ripperda really showed out in their increased roles.

McShane recorded a sack and two tackles-for-loss, Ripperda recorded four tackles and three sacks alone, and Kusler flew to the football on back-to-back plays forcing a pass break-up and a tackle for a short gain.

Toward the end of the first half, second string quarterback Chase Mason began to show flashes of his excellent arm strength and accuracy.

Mason, a former college baseball player turned quar-

terback, connected on a few downfield, tight window passes to receivers Griffin Wilde and Kentrell Prejean that got quite the reactions from fans in attendance.

Prejean was Mason’s favorite target on the field, completing three passes for 60 yards and a touchdown on the last drive of the half.

Mason would finish the day completing seven of his eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Prejean would rack up six catches for 95 yards and a score as well.

The second half was, for the most part, stagnant with even newer and younger guys getting a chance to play but was highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown run from redshirt freshman running back Brendan Begeman.

The Selby, S.D. native, who finished his high school career as South Dakota’s all-time leading rusher at 6,807 yards, ran the ball six times for a game-high 80 yards in

the contest.

The offense had taken a 21-17 lead with a little over two minutes to go, so for dramatic effect, the defense was spotted another seven points to simulate a game-like twominute drill.

In the final possession of the game, quarterback Jon Bell drove the offense down to the 28-yard line before quarterback Jeff Becker would come in to finish out the possession. Becker would then be intercepted by true freshman safety Trey Ridley on his second pass attempt.

Ridley is part of the 2024 recruiting class but graduated in December to be here for spring camp.

South Dakota State football opens the 2024 season in Stillwater, Okla. Saturday, Aug. 31 against Oklahoma State. Start time is still to be determined.

Collegian photo by JOCLYN HAVEN Redshirt freshman Brendan Begeman runs the ball during the spring game inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex Saturday, April 13, 2024. Begeman ran the ball six times totaling 80 yards in the game.

MARSHALL MINIMAN Sports Editor

Jackrabbit track and field compete in third weekend of outdoor season

Over the weekend, The South Dakota State track and field teams competed in four different meets across the United States.

Three of the four meets took place in California while the last meet was hosted by the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

Pacific Coast Intercollegiate

72 schools competed in the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate track meet over the weekend

hosted by Long Beach State.

South Dakota State sophomore Ethan Fischer added his name to the SDSU record books with a 186-05.00 discus throw.

Fischer’s throw is the longest men’s discus throw in Jackrabbit history and enough for seventh place in California.

“I think for Ethan, it’s something that we could see coming from the indoor season when we hosted some of those indoor competitions,” said head coach Rod DeHaven. “I think, in my very untrained eye, that potentially there’s another 10-15 feet that he can obtain, and it gives

him a shot to make the NCAA finals. He can throw that platter around.”

Teammate Caiden Fredick finished with a throw of 166-04.00 for 22nd.

In the 800-meter run, it was Andrew Moeller who took 14th overall with a time of 1:58.32.

The Summit League indoor triple jump champion Tristen Hanna placed inside the top-20 in two different events: triple jump (47-04.50) and javelin (16509.00). In the triple jump, Hanna cleared 47-04.50 for 11th place while in the javelin, the senior took 18th.

Teammates Connor Powers and Carson Kirwan tied for 15th in the high jump with a height of 6-05.00.

For the women, Nora Peterson took tenth in the javelin throw with a score of 126-09.00 while Milee Young’s discus throw of 146-10.00 earned her 22nd.

In the pole vault, Laci Leverity took 20th overall with a score of 12-04.00, sixth best in school history.

“Millie Young also threw very well in the discus,” DeHaven said. “[She] had an opening meet that wasn’t so great... and then threw very well out there [Pacific

Coast Intercollegiate meet]. That environment for kids who haven’t been in it because you see a lot of schools with big names and schools from all over the country and you know, how kids are going to react is not totally predictable.”

Brielle Dixon (14th) and Savannah Risseeuw (18th) both placed in the top-20 in the 100meter hurdles. Dixon finished with a time of 13.89 seconds while Risseeuw followed closely at 13.99 seconds.

For coverage of the other three meets, log onto SDSUCollegian. com.