Embracing Expectations - USD Track and Field Athletes Doing Something Remarkable
Expectations can be a heavy toll to carry.
They can make some a shivering, quivering, stress-filled mess. The fear of failure can be an intimidating force. But don't tell that to three University of South Dakota women's track and field student-athletes, who are meeting expectations and beyond.
Alexa Duling, Bethany Buell and Emily Grove stare down challenges with courage and effort and keep moving forward.
All three of the Coyotes athletes have met the Olympic Trials qualifying standard in their respective events and are headed this week to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
In just its second year at Division I, USD Track and Field has three athletes in the competition and one - Buell - has already earned second team All-America honors in the pole vault.
South Dakota women's head coach Lucky Huber has always had teams that embraced expectations and succeeded at a high level with 16 conference titles in 18 years of coaching. In the first year in the Summit League, USD women's team finished second both indoors and outdoors. In addition eight women's athletes advanced to the NCAA West Prelims, the most of any Summit League school. Three of the four Summit League athletes competing at the championship are Coyotes.
Therefore, it should not be a surprise that three of his USD women's team performers are achieving at such a high level.
Duling became the first Coyotes athlete to advance to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in a running event after finishing seventh in the 400-meter hurdles in the West Preliminaries in Austin, Texas.
The Gregory, S.D., native finished 20th in the NCAA DI West Prelims a year ago. This time, the effort was much improved and ranks among the most astonishing in school history. Duling, who won seven prep track titles and two MVP honors in Class A before coming to USD, bettered her personal mark in the 400M hurdles by nearly 2.5 seconds, going 57.40 after earlier in the competition setting a personal best of 59.92. At Drake Stadium this week, she will be ranked 15th in the field. If she finishes in the top 16, she can earn All-American honors. She will run at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
For Buell meeting or exceeding expectations has been her mantra since she walked onto the USD campus. Buell was part of a four-way tie for first in the women's pole vault at the West Prelims. She became the first Coyote to win or share a NCAA West Preliminary title, going 13-8 1/4, which she cleared on her first try.
Buell, who is ranked fifth in the vault, cleared 14-3 ½ in the pole vault and set a school record while meeting the Olympic B qualifying standard at the Long Beach State Invitational on April 2.
Also heading to Des Moines for the U.S. Track Championships is true freshman Emily Grove, who is ranked 14th at the championships. After missing on her first try at 13-4 1/4 at the West Prelims, Grove cleared the bar, eventually going 13-8 1/4 to tie for fifth in the pole vault and clinch a spot at the NCAA Championships. USD is one of two schools (Washington) with two vaulters in the championship meet.
This week Grove of Pontiac, Ill., set a career-best and became the second Coyote women's team member to go over 14 feet. She also became the third Coyote track and field athlete to attain a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying standard this spring, accomplishing the feat at the Olympic Trials Tune-up meet (sanctioned by USA Track and Field) on Saturday in Yankton, S.D.
Grove, who won two prep state titles in Illinois, cleared 14-2 (4.32 meters) in the pole vault during Saturday’s meet to surpass the U.S. Olympic Trials B Standard of 4.30.
Both Buell and Grove will begin competition in the pole vault at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
So, taking a cue from Wasserstein, the three Coyotes are doing the remarkable. Let's hope it continues.
Interested fans can check out live results at
www.flashresults.com/2012_Meets/outdoor/06-06-NCAADI/Day1.htm
They can make some a shivering, quivering, stress-filled mess. The fear of failure can be an intimidating force. But don't tell that to three University of South Dakota women's track and field student-athletes, who are meeting expectations and beyond.
Alexa Duling, Bethany Buell and Emily Grove stare down challenges with courage and effort and keep moving forward.
All three of the Coyotes athletes have met the Olympic Trials qualifying standard in their respective events and are headed this week to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.
In just its second year at Division I, USD Track and Field has three athletes in the competition and one - Buell - has already earned second team All-America honors in the pole vault.
South Dakota women's head coach Lucky Huber has always had teams that embraced expectations and succeeded at a high level with 16 conference titles in 18 years of coaching. In the first year in the Summit League, USD women's team finished second both indoors and outdoors. In addition eight women's athletes advanced to the NCAA West Prelims, the most of any Summit League school. Three of the four Summit League athletes competing at the championship are Coyotes.
Therefore, it should not be a surprise that three of his USD women's team performers are achieving at such a high level.
Duling became the first Coyotes athlete to advance to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in a running event after finishing seventh in the 400-meter hurdles in the West Preliminaries in Austin, Texas.
The Gregory, S.D., native finished 20th in the NCAA DI West Prelims a year ago. This time, the effort was much improved and ranks among the most astonishing in school history. Duling, who won seven prep track titles and two MVP honors in Class A before coming to USD, bettered her personal mark in the 400M hurdles by nearly 2.5 seconds, going 57.40 after earlier in the competition setting a personal best of 59.92. At Drake Stadium this week, she will be ranked 15th in the field. If she finishes in the top 16, she can earn All-American honors. She will run at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
For Buell meeting or exceeding expectations has been her mantra since she walked onto the USD campus. Buell was part of a four-way tie for first in the women's pole vault at the West Prelims. She became the first Coyote to win or share a NCAA West Preliminary title, going 13-8 1/4, which she cleared on her first try.
Buell, who is ranked fifth in the vault, cleared 14-3 ½ in the pole vault and set a school record while meeting the Olympic B qualifying standard at the Long Beach State Invitational on April 2.
Also heading to Des Moines for the U.S. Track Championships is true freshman Emily Grove, who is ranked 14th at the championships. After missing on her first try at 13-4 1/4 at the West Prelims, Grove cleared the bar, eventually going 13-8 1/4 to tie for fifth in the pole vault and clinch a spot at the NCAA Championships. USD is one of two schools (Washington) with two vaulters in the championship meet.
This week Grove of Pontiac, Ill., set a career-best and became the second Coyote women's team member to go over 14 feet. She also became the third Coyote track and field athlete to attain a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying standard this spring, accomplishing the feat at the Olympic Trials Tune-up meet (sanctioned by USA Track and Field) on Saturday in Yankton, S.D.
Grove, who won two prep state titles in Illinois, cleared 14-2 (4.32 meters) in the pole vault during Saturday’s meet to surpass the U.S. Olympic Trials B Standard of 4.30.
Both Buell and Grove will begin competition in the pole vault at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
So, taking a cue from Wasserstein, the three Coyotes are doing the remarkable. Let's hope it continues.
Interested fans can check out live results at
www.flashresults.com/2012_Meets/outdoor/06-06-NCAADI/Day1.htm
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