For their performances over the weekend, South Dakota State’s Colton Bender and Oral Roberts’ Jaden Purnell were named Summit League Co-Athletes of the Week on the men’s side, while South Dakota’s Helen Falda locked up the women’s honor for her vaulting efforts at the Tyson Invitational.
For the third-consecutive week, Bender reset the school record in the men’s weight throw event, muscling a 68’ 10” (20.98m) throw on his fourth attempt from the circle. Not to be outdone, Purnell also broke a school record with a personal-best leap in the men’s triple jump (51’ 3.5”, 15.63m).
Falda moved to 11th on the NCAA performance list by clearing a vaulting height of 14′ 0.75″ (4.29m)—good enough for a first-place finish at the meet.



