ELMHURST, Ill. – The Summit League outdoor track and field preseason rankings and athletes to watch list were released Friday, as South Dakota State was picked third in both the men’s and women’s polls.
Men
The Jackrabbits have been dubbed as third in the preseason five out of the last six years, with last year being ranked tied for second. In the past seven years, SDSU nished where it was preseason polled at.
Junior Kyle Burdick and sophomore Bryant Courter were nominated as track and field athletes to watch by the league coaches.
Burdick finished the indoor season by being named the most outstanding track athlete at the league championships for winning the mile (4 minutes, 8.29 seconds) and 3,000 meters (8:18.06) while finishing behind teammate Chase Cayo in the 5,000 meters (14:29.62). The all-league performer scored 28 points for the team in a tight second-place team finish at the championships.
Burdick recorded the school’s third-best mile (4:04.89), second-best 3,000 (8:07.26), and ninth-best 5,000 (14:29.62).
Last outdoor season, the Rapid City native ran his way all the way to the outdoor national championships in the 1,500 meters, placing 13th (3:43.78) in the prelims and earning second-team All-American honors. Burdick also competed in the 5,000 at the NCAA West Prelims, finishing 29th (14:50.14). At the league championships, he won both the 1,500 (3:46.86) and 10,000 (30:12.61) while posting the second-best time in the 5,000 (14:55.04), earning Track Championship MVP. He set the championship record in the 1,500 and received the league’s track athlete of the year award.
Burdick has three SDSU top-10 outdoor marks: 800 (tie - eighth - 1:51.65, 2017), 1,500 (third - 3:42.52, 2017) and 5,000 (third - 14:00.84, 2017).
Courter earned Summit League Championship MVP for field athletes after winning the triple jump (50 feet, 5 1/4 inches) with the championship record and placing second in both the long jump (24-5) and high jump (6-10 3/4) at the indoor championships.
The all-league performer posted 26 points for the team and reset the indoor school record for the fourth time of the season in the triple jump. His mark in the long jump was a personal-best mark, which is second all-time in school history and his height in the high jump placed him fourth all-time.
Last outdoor season, the Rich Hill, Mo., native finished 35th in both the long jump (24-1 3/4) and triple jump (49-5 3/4) at the NCAA West Prelims. In the 2017 outdoor league championships, Courter won the long jump (24-7 1/4) and triple jump (50-2 3/4) while placing fourth in the high jump (6-7 1/2) to win Field Championship MVP and Newcomer of the Championship.
Courter has two SDSU top-10 outdoor marks: long jump (third - 24-07.25, 2017) and triple jump (third - 50-02.75, 2017).
SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
1. North Dakota State – 16 points (4 first-place votes)
2. South Dakota – 12 (1)
3. South Dakota State – 10
4. Oral Roberts – 8
5. Western Illinois – 4
Women
The Jackrabbits been deemed third in the league’s outdoor preseason poll for the fourth consecutive year. SDSU has nished where it was preseason ranked in four out of the last five years, with the exception in 2014 when the team was polled fourth and finished second.
Juniors Rachel King and Kasie Vollmer were nominated as South Dakota State’s athletes to watch by the league’s coaches.
King was awarded the league’s indoor championship MVP for track athletes after winning the mile (4:50.71) and 3,000 (9:28.16), and placing second in the 5,000 (16:57.50). The all-league performer scored 28 points for the Jacks and reset the school record in the 3,000.
She also posted the school’s record in the mile (4:48.94) and 5,000 (16:29.88) earlier in the season.
In the 2017 outdoor season, the St. Michael, Minn., native, finished 38th (11:03.25) in the 3,000 steeplechase at the NCAA West Prelims. At the outdoor league championships, King placed 10th in the 1,500 (4:48.53).
King has three SDSU top-10 outdoor marks, including two school records: 1,500 (seventh - 4:32.68, 2017), 5,000 (school record - 16:16.48, 2017) and 3,000-meter steeplechase (school record - 10:10.71, 2017).
Vollmer finished the indoor season at the Summit League Championships, placing 10th in the shot put (43-1 1/2). She posted her personal-best mark (47-4 1/4) in the event at the Jim Emmerich Invite, which is the eighth-best in school history.
In the 2017 outdoor season, the Savage, Minn., native, placed 14th (173-11) at the NCAA West Prelims in the discus throw. She set the school record with that throw, which was her personal-best mark by 3-8.
At the league outdoor championships, Vollmer earned all-league honors by nishing second in the discus (160-5) while also placing 16th in the shot put (42-2 3/4).
SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
1. North Dakota State – 36 points (6 first-place votes)
2. South Dakota – 31 (1)
3. South Dakota State – 25
4. Oral Roberts – 22
5. Omaha – 14
6. Western Illinois – 11
7. IPFW – 8
The outdoor season kicks off for the Jackrabbits on Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, when they travel to Tulsa, Okla., to compete in the Tulsa Duals.
The Summit League Academic All-League honorees from the indoor season are scheduled to be announced on Wednesday. The league’s indoor athletes of the year are expected to be announced the following Wednesday, March 21.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
