South Dakota senior pole vaulter Emily Grove was voted the 2016 Summit League Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year by the league’s head coaches as announced by the league office Wednesday.
Grove clinches the award after collecting her second career Summit League pole vault title and fourth career All-America honor. Grove placed seventh at the NCAA Indoor Championships to be named a first-team All-American. The Pontiac, Ill., native also posted the nation’s third-best height during the regular season when she cleared 14-9 ½ at the Iowa State Classic. The height also tied her own career best and school record.
This marks the third consecutive season that a Coyote has claimed Field Athlete of the Year. Throwers Kyle McKelvey and Cody Snyder earned Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year honors, respectively, in 2015. Pole vault teammate Bethany Buell-Firsick won back-to-back Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year awards in 2013 and 2012.
