USD track, field squads shine in Hillenbrand Meet Jan. 19

Terry Liggins won two individual events and was part of the winning 4×400-meter relay team to highlight a strong performance by the South Dakota men's track and field squad at the Bill Hillenbrand Meet on Jan. 19 at the DakotaDome.

The USD women's team dominated the short sprints and fared well in field events.

A highlight of the meet was the performance of U.S. Olympian A.G. Kruger, who set a DakotaDome record with a weight throw toss of 77'7.5. Kruger broke the previous mark (John McEwen, Morningside, 63'0.5) by more than 14 feet.

The Coyote men's and women's teams had a combined 13 titles at the meet.

Liggins, a sophomore from Omaha, NE, picked up a win in the 60-meter hurdles with a clocking of 8.13 in the finals. He set a school-record in the event with an 8.04 clocking in the prelims. Liggins also won the high jump, going 6'06. He was also a member of the winning 4×400-meter relay squad that finished in 3:29.19.

Junior Colte Haines of White Lake, was a double winner by capturing the long jump (21'11.75) and the triple jump (45'07.75).

USD took the top two places in the 60-meter dash as junior Stefan Logan of Miami, FL, won the race in 6.96. Freshman Dominic Artis of Brooklyn Park, MN, was second in 6.99.

Jordan McCaskill, a sophomore from Rapid City, won the 200-meter dash by clocking a 23.10.

USD's Mark Leibl, a senior from Menno, picked up a win in the unseeded men's weight throw by tossing the instrument 44.09. In the seeded weight throw, Dan Tolsma had a season-best throw of 56'07.25, which placed him second in the event. The throw by Tolsma ranks in the top-five in Division II.

The USD women's team captured the top three spots in the 60-meter dash, led by junior Heidi Muellenberg of Redfield, who finished in 7.89. Senior Amanda Dykstra-Adamson of Yankton, was second in 8.01 while freshman Janessa Filler of Crooks, was third in 8.11.

Mara McGill, a junior from Beresford, won the pentathlon with 3,052 points.

Freshman Allie Smith of Wahpeton, ND, picked up her first career title by winning the 200-meter dash in 26.51. Filler was fourth in 27.27.

Senior Kiki Smith of Wahpeton, won the long jump, going 17'00.

Natalie Stout, a freshman from Crofton, NE, won the triple jump and finished third in the long jump (15'10.25). Betsy Lubbers, a sophomore from of Watertown, and Carrie Gonsor, a junior from Pierre, finished second and third, respectively, in the triple jump.

The USD women's team also captured two of the top three spots in the pole vault. Katie Cerling, a junior from Plymouth, MN, was second at 10'06 while freshman Kaci Nickerson of Cambridge, NE, was third at 10'0.

Amber Stoltenburg, a senior from Elkton, finished third in the 400-meter dash with a clocking of 1:01.22.