SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University track and field teams return home this weekend for the Stinger Open. Friday night will feature the distance medley relay and 5000m race. Action begins at 6:00 p.m. for the women's DMR. The men's DMR is shaping up to be a fast one as nine schools from across the region will be vying to hit a qualifying mark for the National Championships. A year ago, the Green and Gold qualified a DMR at this meet. The team is looking for it's fifth consecutive DMR appearance at the National Championships.

Competition will resume Saturday at noon for the field events, while running events are slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. The schedule will be rolling. This is the last regular season competition for the Yellow Jackets as they tune up for the RMAC Championships hosted by Adams State next weekend.

"This will a good final tune-up for some of the athletes as they start to focus on the Conference Championships," said head coach Seth Mischke. "Others are right on the bubble of qualifying for conference and will need to step up this weekend."

As the focus turns to the post season, the Yellow Jackets hold multiple spots on the national lists. Senior Jonah Theisen is 23^rd in the mile and 19^th in the 3000m. In the high jump, sophomore Allan McDonnell is tied for 12^th, while junior Tristan Hepp is tied for 18^th. Meanwhile, sophomore Jordyn Huneke is tied for fourth in the pole vault.

To qualify for the RMAC championships, an athlete must be one of the top 18 declared entries for an event. In the men's events Tristan Hepp is currently fourth in the 200m, third in the high jump, and 19^th in the 60m. Junior Taylor Hepp is 15^th in the 200m and fourth in the 400m. Senior Seth Kovar is 10^th in the 60m hurdles, while junior Levi Fried is 10^th in the 800m, and junior Jordan Theisen is 12^th in the 800m and 10^th in the mile. Senior Keegan Her Many Horses is 15^th in the 800m. Senior Jonah Theisen is seventh in the mile, 11^th in the 3000m, and 16^th in the 5000m. Holding the 17^th and 18^th spots in the 5000m is senior Nate Fredrick and sophomore Matthew Parker, respectively. Sitting right on the bubble is junior Jake Iverson, who is 21^st in both the mile and 3000m.

In the field events, McDonnell is second in the high jump, while sophomore Drazen Moratzka and senior Ryan Olsen are at 16^th and 17^th. McDonnell is also 10^th in the triple jump, while Olsen is ninth in the heptathlon. Sophomore Joe Melia has made his first appearance at 10^th in the pole vault. Sophomore Nicholas Hoyt holds the 13^th spot in the weight throw and 18^th spot in the shot put. Junior Isaac Langi is sitting at 18^th in the weight throw.

On the women's lists, BHSU is dominating the RMAC pole vault rankings. Huneke is first in the pole vault, while freshman Hannah Hendrick is sixth, sophomore Whitney Scott is eighth, senior Alexandra Richards is 12^th, and sophomore JoJo Sherman is 14^th. Richards also leads the conference in the high jump and is 14^th in the shot put. Elsewhere in the field, sophomore Maddi Fidler is 11^th in both the weight throw and shot put, while freshman Kyla Sawvell is eighth in the weight and 11^th in the shot. Junior Katie Campbell is on the bubble, sitting at 20^th in the triple jump and 21^st in the 60m hurdle.

On the track, senior Shayna Soderstrom is eighth in the 200m and 19^th in the 60m, while freshman Breanne Fuller is 16^th in the 60m and 20^th in the 200m. Junior Brittney Marosok is 16^th in the 60m hurdles. Junior Zoe Langseth sits at 17^th in the 400m.

The Yellow Jackets have four in the top 18 in the 800m, with senior Cailey Roth at 11^th, junior Abbie Fredrick at 14^th, and freshmen Taylor Lundquist and Erica Dykstra at 16^th and 18^th. Fredrick is also 13^th in the mile. In the 5000m, seniors Tori Moore, Savannah Davis, and Nicole Davis are 11^th, 17^th, and 18^th, respectively. Sophomore Xiomara Robinson and junior Nicole Allerdings are currently on the outside looking in, sitting at 22^nd and 25^th.

Last week at the SDSU Indoor Classic, BHSU saw over 20 movements on the Top Ten Lists! You can find those lists and pledge to support the track and field athletes here: https://bhsuathletics.com/sb_output.aspx?form=1009