Longtime South Dakota track and field coach Dave Gottsleben, along with Olympic bronze medalist and Coyote alumnus Derek Miles will be inducted to the Drake Relays Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 26.
Miles will join the Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame while Gottsleben will be inducted to the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame.
Gottsleben retired from his post last summer following a fruitful 33-year career at USD. He was twice named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year and has won more conference championships than any coach in USD history with 20 between men’s cross country, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field. Under Gottsleben, the Coyote men accumulated 125 All-America awards with seven NCAA titles.
A three-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the pole vault, Miles was one of the best professional pole vaulters in the world for more than a decade. Miles represented the United States on six world championship teams and was a three-time U.S. champion. Miles was also no stranger to the blue oval, winning the Drake Relays invitational pole vault in 2002, 2008 and 2009. He also won the Vault at the Mall event at Jordan Creek Town Center in 2008 and 2011. He retired after the 2012 Olympics with a career best of 19 feet, 2 ½ inches.
