Track and Field inks 2020-2021 class
MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan University track and field announced its recruiting class for the 2020-2021 season with 18 total athletes, head track and field coach Jamen Helton announced Thursday.
MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan University track and field announced its recruiting class for the 2020-2021 season with 18 total athletes, head track and field coach Jamen Helton announced Thursday.
The signees include:
Noel Reynolds, Sprints, Belgrade, Mont.;
Alex Paul, Sprints, Minnetonka, Minn.;
Dimitri Courneyer, Sprints, Hartford, S.D.;
Todd Obele Jr., Throws, Selby, S.D.;
Travis Spell, Sprints, Milford, Maine;
Cobey Carr, Jumps, Pierre, S.D.;
Nicolas Jacolucci, Sprints, Litchfield, Minn.;
Benjamin Heyd, Sprints, LaMoure, N.D.;
Austin Moen, Jumps, Webster, S.D.;
Hunter Shanks, Distance, Bennington, Neb.;
Lila Gronseth, Throws, Sargeant, N.D.;
Abby Magnuson, Throws, Hillsboro, N.D.;
Katlyn Briggs, Throws, Plankinton, S.D.;
Abby Ferris, Jumps, Pierre, S.D.;
Morgan Oedekoven, Distance, Pierre, S.D.;
Tessa Kilber, Distance, Ipswich, S.D.;
Sydney Savatos, Jumps, Gregory, S.D.;
Jaliah Washington, Sprints, Peoria, Ill.
Noel Reynolds
Reynolds recorded a personal best in the 100-meter dash in 11.4 seconds at the Eastern 'A' Divisional Meet. In the 200-meter dash he tallied a best time of 23.01 seconds at the CMR Quad. He also competed in basketball for two years.
Alex Paul
Paul was a state champion in the 4x100-meter dash and recorded a personal best in the 100-meter dash in 10.93 seconds. He added a best in the 200-meter dash of 22.7 seconds and also competed in football for six years. Paul was a 2018 Class 'A' state qualifier in football.
Dimitri Courneyer
He will compete in the sprints for the Tigers in his freshman season. Courneyer tallied his best time in the 100-meter dash in 12.1 seconds, while his personal best in the 200-meter dash was in 24.6 seconds. His team's best time in the 4x100-meter relay was in 46.4 seconds, as the team's best time in the 4x200-meter relay was in 1:35.5 minutes.
Todd Obele Jr.
He recorded personal best in the shot put with a throw of 45-1 feet. Obele notched his best toss in the discus with a mark of 155-2 feet. He also played football for four years and was named All-State in football.
Travis Spell
Spell tallied a personal best split time in the 4x100-meter dash with a time of 11.9 seconds. He notched a personal best split time in the 4x400-meter dash in 56 seconds. He competed in track and field for four years and also participated in football and basketball.
Cobey Carr
The Pierre, S.D., native was a 2019 conference runner-up in the triple jump and an Academic All-State member from 2017-2020. His personal best time in the 100-meter dash was 11.66 seconds as he tallied a personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 12.45 meters. He also competed in football and baseball and was a National Honor Society member.
Nicolas Jacolucci
Jacolucci's best time in the 100-meter dash was in 13.1 seconds and finished with a best of 27 seconds in the 200-meter dash. He also competed in long jump and pole vault. His best leap in the long jump was a 16-foot mark. His personal best in the pole vault was an 8-foot mark.
Benjamin Heyd
His best mark in the 400-meter dash was 51.1 seconds at the SE Conference Meet where he took first place. His second-best time was in 51.62 seconds at the Lisbon Invitational where he took second place. Heyd also played basketball and football.
Austin Moen
Moen competed in the triple jump, long jump, 200-meter and 100-meter dash. He took sixth at state in the triple jump with a leap of 42 feet. His best mark in the long jump was 21 feet, while recording a personal best time of 21 seconds in the 200-meter dash and 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash. He also competed in football and basketball and was a member of FFA and the 'B' Honor Roll.
Hunter Shanks
Participated in track and cross-country for four seasons and placed third in his conference with a mark of 2:01.7 minutes in the 800-meter run. Shanks was part of a 4x800-meter relay team that placed first in their district and third at state. He earned cross-country Academic All-State and All-Conference honors for two consecutive years. Shanks was a member of the honor roll for six semesters.
She was named the Gopher Conference Athlete of the Year in 2019. At the Hayfield Vikings Invite, she tallied her personal bests in the shot put (36-10.5 feet), discus (114-09 feet) and the triple jump (31-06 feet). She recorded a personal best time of 50.82 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles. Gronseth was a member of the National Honor Society and High Honor Roll.
Abby Magnuson
Magnuson looks to make an impact for the throwers after her high-school career at Hillsboro High School. Her best toss in the discus was 123 feet, as he best throw in the shot put was 34-4 feet.
Briggs participated in track and field, basketball and volleyball for four seasons. She was a four-year starter in both basketball and volleyball. She placed first in her region for discus throughout each of her last three seasons and also placed first in shot put in her region throughout each of her last two seasons. Briggs placed fourth as a sophomore and third as a junior in the discus event at the state meet, while placing fourth in shot put at state during her junior season. She was also named to the volleyball Academic All-State Team.
Abby Ferris
She tallied a personal best in the long jump with a mark of 13-07 feet. Ferris recorded her best high jump at a mark of 4-10 feet and also tallied a 31-2.5 mark in the triple jump.
Her best time in the 5K was 20:53 minutes and set a personal record in the mile with a time of 5:53 minutes. She was named Academic All-State, Most Improved and Athlete of the Week. Oedekoven was Valedictorian of her class, a member of the National Honor Society and an 'A' Honor Roll member.
Tessa Kilber
For Ipswich High School she competed in the 5K, 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs. She took fourth at the state meet in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:27 minutes. Kilber also took fifth place at state in the 5K in 19:31 minutes. She was an Academic All-State member and a Senior Scholar Athlete. She also was the Salutatorian, Hall of Fame inductee, Regent Scholar and a National Honor Society member.
Savatos qualified for the state meet in the triple jump after a leap of 30-8 feet. She recorded a personal best in the long jump after a mark of 14-6 feet. She also competed in volleyball and basketball for four seasons, was a National Honor Society member and a Honor Student.
Jaliah Washington
The Peoria, Ill., native will compete in the sprints for the Tigers this winter. Her best time in the 100-meter dash was in 13.93 seconds. She also tallied a personal best in the 200-meter dash in 28.69 seconds.