Upcoming Event: Men's Track and Field at WashU Distance Carnival on March 26, 2026
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Men's Track and Field
at WashU Distance Carnival
South Dakota State University Athletics
SDSU MEN SECOND, WOMEN FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
3/24/2026 10:21:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakota State men's track and field team earns a second-place ranking, while the women tie for fourth in the Summit League preseason poll, released by the league on Tuesday afternoon.
The men's squad earns its second-place ranking with 29 points, behind North Dakota State's 36 points and six first-place votes. The women's team tied St. Thomas for fourth with 29 points.
Jackrabbits to watch this outdoor season are Ethan Fischer in throws and Cody Larson in distance events on the men's side.
Fischer is currently the second-best discus performer in program history with a personal record mark of 186-06.00 (56.84m). Last year, Fischer finished fifth in discus at the Summit League Championship before competing at the NCAA West First Round, where he threw a mark of 164-06 (50.14m) to finish 45th.
Larson will look to close out his senior season with a bang after qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships 3000-meter steeplechase prelims in Eugene, Ore. Larson failed to make the finals and will undoubtedly be looking to one-up his performance from last year. The South Dakota native currently holds the steeplechase program record at 8:30.96, along with the 5000-meter record of 13:34.46.
On the women's side, athletes to watch will be Ellie Harris in sprints and Johanna Pihl in jumps.
After a quiet freshman season, Harris became the breakout sprints star during the indoor slate this year. At last year's conference championship, Harris finished 10th in the 200-meter prelims with a time of 24.19, before posting a 100-meter personal record of 11.93 to finish 12th. At the Indoor Summit League Championship a month ago, the sophomore broke 24 seconds in the 200-meter to make the podium in third.
Pihl has been a standout freshman for the Jackrabbits during the indoor season after earning a third-place finish in the long jump competition with a personal record mark of 18-11.75 (5.78m) at the conference meet. The freshman is slated to steadily improve her performance through the outdoor season.
2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Kaden Pastian, North Dakota State
Sr | Throws | Hillsboro, N.D.
Zach McGlynn, North Dakota State
Sr | Multis| Stephen, Minn.
Ethan Fischer, South Dakota State
Sr | Throws | Maple River, Minn.
Cody Larson, South Dakota State
Sr | Distance | Warner, S.D.
Andrew Cartier, South Dakota
Fr | Jumps | De Pere, Wis.
Aidan Hedderman, South Dakota
So | Hurdles | Sturgis, S.D.
Louis-Lys Fanucchi, North Dakota
So | Distance | Mons En Baroeul, France
Shane Zierden, North Dakota
So | Jumps | Fergus Falls, Minn.
Jack Rosner, St. Thomas
Gr | Multis | De Pere, Wis.
Jason Koel, St. Thomas
Jr | Sprints | Richfield, Wis.
Abraham Chelangam, Oral Roberts
Sr | Distance | Kapchorwa, Uganda
Jordan Wenger, Oral Roberts
So | Jumps | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tory Lanham, Kansas City
Jr | Sprints | Kansas City, Mo.
Stephen Clunis, Kansas City
Sr | Sprints | Kingston, Jamaica
2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Adison Kapitzke, North Dakota State
Jr | Throws | Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Paige Renschler, North Dakota State
So | Sprints | Fargo, N.D.
Drew Beason, South Dakota
Fr | Distance | Ankeny, Iowa
Rylie Hansen, South Dakota
Fr | Jumps | Mankato, Minn.
Jadyn Keeler, North Dakota
Sr. | Distance | Barrie, Ontario
Julia Matthews, North Dakota
Jr | Throws | Eden Prairie, Minn.
Alexis Pratt, St. Thomas
Sr | Sprints | North St. Paul, Minn.
Chloe Staub, St. Thomas
Gr | Javelin | Dodge Center, Minn.
Ellie Harris, South Dakota State
So | Sprints | Sioux City, Iowa
Johanna Pihl, South Dakota State
Fr | Jumps | Stockholm, Sweden
Naomi Eyanagho, Kansas City
Jr | Multis | Prosper, Texas
Jacky Perez-Vela, Kansas City
So | Sprints | Wyandotte, Kan.
Destiny Downing, Oral Roberts
So | Jumps | Norman, Okla.
Deborah Mazzei, Oral Roberts
Sr | Distance | Tulsa, Okla.
Emma Klein, Omaha
Sr. | Jumps | Gower, Mo.
Jocelynn Skoda, Omaha
So | Long Sprints | West Point, Neb.
The men's squad earns its second-place ranking with 29 points, behind North Dakota State's 36 points and six first-place votes. The women's team tied St. Thomas for fourth with 29 points.
Jackrabbits to watch this outdoor season are Ethan Fischer in throws and Cody Larson in distance events on the men's side.
Fischer is currently the second-best discus performer in program history with a personal record mark of 186-06.00 (56.84m). Last year, Fischer finished fifth in discus at the Summit League Championship before competing at the NCAA West First Round, where he threw a mark of 164-06 (50.14m) to finish 45th.
Larson will look to close out his senior season with a bang after qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships 3000-meter steeplechase prelims in Eugene, Ore. Larson failed to make the finals and will undoubtedly be looking to one-up his performance from last year. The South Dakota native currently holds the steeplechase program record at 8:30.96, along with the 5000-meter record of 13:34.46.
On the women's side, athletes to watch will be Ellie Harris in sprints and Johanna Pihl in jumps.
After a quiet freshman season, Harris became the breakout sprints star during the indoor slate this year. At last year's conference championship, Harris finished 10th in the 200-meter prelims with a time of 24.19, before posting a 100-meter personal record of 11.93 to finish 12th. At the Indoor Summit League Championship a month ago, the sophomore broke 24 seconds in the 200-meter to make the podium in third.
Pihl has been a standout freshman for the Jackrabbits during the indoor season after earning a third-place finish in the long jump competition with a personal record mark of 18-11.75 (5.78m) at the conference meet. The freshman is slated to steadily improve her performance through the outdoor season.
2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
| Team | Score (1st place votes) | |
| 1. | North Dakota State | 36 (6) |
| 2. | South Dakota State | 29 |
| 3. | South Dakota | 28 (1) |
| t4. | North Dakota | 15 |
| t4. | St. Thomas | 15 |
| t6. | Oral Roberts | 12 |
| t6. | Kansas City | 12 |
Kaden Pastian, North Dakota State
Sr | Throws | Hillsboro, N.D.
Zach McGlynn, North Dakota State
Sr | Multis| Stephen, Minn.
Ethan Fischer, South Dakota State
Sr | Throws | Maple River, Minn.
Cody Larson, South Dakota State
Sr | Distance | Warner, S.D.
Andrew Cartier, South Dakota
Fr | Jumps | De Pere, Wis.
Aidan Hedderman, South Dakota
So | Hurdles | Sturgis, S.D.
Louis-Lys Fanucchi, North Dakota
So | Distance | Mons En Baroeul, France
Shane Zierden, North Dakota
So | Jumps | Fergus Falls, Minn.
Jack Rosner, St. Thomas
Gr | Multis | De Pere, Wis.
Jason Koel, St. Thomas
Jr | Sprints | Richfield, Wis.
Abraham Chelangam, Oral Roberts
Sr | Distance | Kapchorwa, Uganda
Jordan Wenger, Oral Roberts
So | Jumps | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tory Lanham, Kansas City
Jr | Sprints | Kansas City, Mo.
Stephen Clunis, Kansas City
Sr | Sprints | Kingston, Jamaica
2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON POLL
| Team | Score (1st place votes) | |
| 1. | North Dakota State | 49 (7) |
| 2. | South Dakota | 41 (1) |
| 3. | North Dakota | 35 |
| T4. | St. Thomas | 29 |
| T4. | South Dakota State | 29 |
| 6. | Kansas City | 19 |
| 7. | Oral Roberts | 13 |
| 8. | Omaha | 9 |
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Adison Kapitzke, North Dakota State
Jr | Throws | Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Paige Renschler, North Dakota State
So | Sprints | Fargo, N.D.
Drew Beason, South Dakota
Fr | Distance | Ankeny, Iowa
Rylie Hansen, South Dakota
Fr | Jumps | Mankato, Minn.
Jadyn Keeler, North Dakota
Sr. | Distance | Barrie, Ontario
Julia Matthews, North Dakota
Jr | Throws | Eden Prairie, Minn.
Alexis Pratt, St. Thomas
Sr | Sprints | North St. Paul, Minn.
Chloe Staub, St. Thomas
Gr | Javelin | Dodge Center, Minn.
Ellie Harris, South Dakota State
So | Sprints | Sioux City, Iowa
Johanna Pihl, South Dakota State
Fr | Jumps | Stockholm, Sweden
Naomi Eyanagho, Kansas City
Jr | Multis | Prosper, Texas
Jacky Perez-Vela, Kansas City
So | Sprints | Wyandotte, Kan.
Destiny Downing, Oral Roberts
So | Jumps | Norman, Okla.
Deborah Mazzei, Oral Roberts
Sr | Distance | Tulsa, Okla.
Emma Klein, Omaha
Sr. | Jumps | Gower, Mo.
Jocelynn Skoda, Omaha
So | Long Sprints | West Point, Neb.
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
/ Men's Track and Field
Jumps
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