ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State's second-team all-American, Kyle Burdick, was honored with the 2017 Summit League Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
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ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State's second-team all-American, Kyle Burdick, was honored with the 2017 Summit League Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Burdick is the second outdoor track student-athlete of the year from South Dakota State (Trent Lusignan, 2013) and the first male Jackrabbit to earn All-America honors. The distance runner set multiple career-best marks in his outdoor season, most notably the 1,500-meter run. He competed in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, placing 13th. Burdick finished in 3:43.78, just outside qualifying for the championship race.
"I think it's a pretty big accomplishment. There are a lot of athletes in the Summit League that are good so it means quite a lot to me," said Burdick.
He qualified in three events in the Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Championships – 10,000-meter, 5,000-meter, and 1,500-meter races. He won both the 10,000 and 1,500 with times of 30:12.61 and 3:46.86, respectively, and placed second in the 5,000 in 14:55.04.
After winning a pair of league titles and the Summit League Outdoor Championship MVP honor, Burdick qualified for the 5,000-meter and the 1,500-meter races in the NCAA West Preliminary Round. His 1,500-meter run qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., placing seventh in 3:48.15.
Burdick's NCAA Championship 1,500-meter run was his second-fastest time. He finished in 3:42.52 at Bryan Clay Invite, placing 21st out of 269, including nine of the NCAA Championship top qualifiers. Burdick's time ranks third fastest in school history for the 1,500-meter run. He also ranks third in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:00.84, winning the Drake Relays.
Burdick now owns two league records, including the best finish in the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Championships representing the Summit League and Summit League Championship record in the 1,500-meter run.
The award won't change how he prepares for the upcoming seasons.
"Nothing different going forward, it's all about being consistent and healthy. I have talked to Coach about it and we are emphasizing consistency and health to grow from last year," Burdick said.
