Five Tigers earn All-Conference honors at GPAC Championships

SEWARD, Neb.– Five members of the Dakota Wesleyan University men's and women's track and field teams earned All-Conference honors as they competed at the Great Plains Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Friday and Saturday in Seward, Neb.

 With arguably the biggest performance of the weekend, freshman Katlyn Briggs (Plankinton, S.D.) qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the discus. She earned All-Conference honors in the event after taking seventh place with a toss of 143-6 feet, (43.74m). Not only did her throw give her All-GPAC status and qualify her for the national championships, but she also moved into third on the all-time list.

 Also being named All-Conference was senior Lydia Gerber (Canton, S.D.) as she was a two-time honoree. In the triple jump, Gerber took second with a leap of 37-9.5 feet (11.52m) and finished in fifth place in the long jump after a mark of 17-10.75 feet (5.45m). Thanks to her pair of top-eight finishes, Gerber earned All-Conference honors in both events.

 Gerber also competed in the 100-meter dash and took 12^th place after clocking a time of 12.69 seconds.

 Avany Long (Oacoma, S.D.) and Nate Rupprecht (Bennington, Neb.) each earned All-GPAC status in the Heptathlon and the Decathlon, respectively. Long took seventh in the Heptathlon after tallying 3,709 points. Long's best event of the Heptathlon was the javelin throw as she took third with a throw of 103-4 feet (31.51m).

 Rupprecht finished the Decathlon in eighth place with 5,296 points. The throwing events were his strong areas as he won the shot put with a throw of 39-9.75 feet (12.13m) and took fourth in the discus after a toss of 104-10 feet (31.96m).

 Just missing out of All-Conference honors was Lia Guigui (Rapid City, S.D.) as she took ninth place in the high jump with a leap of 5-2.5 feet (1.59m). Her finish moved her to third all-time in program history.

 In the throwing ring, Lila Gronseth (Sargeant, Minn.) competed in the discus and shot put. She took 16^th in the discus after a throw of 128-2 feet (39.08m) and finished in 17^th in the shot put after a throw of 38-8.25 feet (11.79m). She now sits fifth all-time in the discus and is 10^th all-time in the shot put.

 On the men's side, Ryan Kienzle (Gillette, Wyo.) took 15^th in the hammer throw thanks to his toss of 158 feet (48.15m). Austin Moen (Webster, S.D.) also finished just out of All-Conference honors as he took ninth in the triple jump after a leap of 44-7 feet (13.59m).

 In the women's 4x800-meter relay, the team of Tessa Kilber (Ipswich, S.D.), Macey Bohl (Garretson, S.D.), Annika Vermeulen (Mitchell, S.D.) and Baylee Field (Fremont, Neb.) took 10^th. Their time of 10:52.12 minutes moved them to ninth all-time in program history.

 Both Tiger men's and women's teams will compete at the USD Invite on Saturday in Vermillion, S.D.