South Dakota senior Chris Nilsen placed third in the elite vault competition and the Coyotes swept the top-four spots in the women’s collegiate competition over the weekend at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno.
Nilsen placed third in the elite competition with a vault of 18 feet, 8 ¼ inches. The height ties him for the NCAA lead this season. 2019 graduates Jacob Wooten of Texas A&M and Matt Ludwig of Akron, now competing as professionals, placed first and second in the competition after clearing the next height of 19-0 ¼.
In the collegiate ranks, the Coyote women swept the top-four spots in the field. Leading the pack was true freshman Gen Hirata from Fredericksburg, Virginia, to win her first collegiate meet. Hirata’s winning height of 13-5 ¼ lands her on the Coyotes’ top-10 list in ninth. Sophomore Landon Kemp finished runner-up in the competition by clearing the same height. The 13-5 ¼ bar is an indoor best for Kemp. The duo ties for 12th in the NCAA with the height this season.
