NEW ORLEANS (KELO.com) —Five South Dakota student-athletes were recognized as All-Americans for the indoor season by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday.
Normal policies dictate that All-America honors are awarded based on classifications of performance at the NCAA Championships. Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, the executive committee adopted the following criteria:
- · Based on the post-medical scratches start list for the national championships posted on Wednesday, March 11 at 9:24 p.m., the following will be recognized as All-America for the 2020 indoor track and field season:
- o Individual events: All student-athletes listed on the start list of the anticipated event.
- o Relay events: The four student-athletes per anticipated relay who produced the performance that was declared and accepted into their event. Those listed as alternates will not be recognized.
- · There will not be a distinction of first team, second team or honorable mention to these recognitions.
South Dakota was one of 119 different institutions to have student-athletes recognized as All-America on Tuesday.
Three-time NCAA Champion Chris Nilsen highlights the group with his seventh career All-America distinction in the pole vault. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Nilsen broke the NCAA indoor pole vault record this winter with a vault of 19 feet, 5 ½ inches, at the Nebraska Tune-Up. He was later named the USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year and the Summit League Field Athlete of the Year.
The Coyotes’ lone honoree on the women’s side, Helen Falda garners her sixth career All-America distinction in the pole vault. Hailing from Torino, Italy, Falda recorded her indoor best of 14-3 ½ at the Adidas Classic for the 12th-best height during the indoor season.
Zack Anderson picks up his third All-America recognition in the high jump. He has qualified for four national meets during his career. An in-state standout from Parker, South Dakota, Anderson tied his indoor school record of 7-3 ¾ at the Nebraska Tune-Up to record the ninth-best mark in the country during the indoor season. He was named the Summit League Championships Field MVP.
The third Coyote pole vaulter in the field, Ethan Bray receives his first All-America accolade. A native of Fishers, Indiana, Bray would have competed at his first NCAA Championships meet. He’s a two-time qualifier for the NCAA West Preliminaries. Bray vaulted an indoor best 18-1 at the Dakota Realty Alumni Meet for the ninth-best height in the nation during the season.
Brithton Senior garners his first career All-America accolade in the 60-meter hurdles following an impressive freshman campaign. Hailing from Hanover, Jamaica, Senior clocked 7.74 seconds in the 60 hurdles to win the Summit League Championships in a new meet record and South Dakota program record. The time ranked him in a tie for 16th in the nation. He was later named the Summit League Track Athlete of the Year.
South Dakota boasts 39 All-America accolades, compiled by 10 women and seven men, in a decade of competing at the NCAA Division I level.
(USD Athletics contributed this report/news release.)
