Eagles continue record-breaking season

The Chadron State College track and field athletes continue to be on a roll this indoor season as they broke six more school records this weekend at the South Dakota State University Indoor Classic, Brookings.

Skyler Hoopes, senior of Lusk, Wyoming, led the way and made history clearing 16 feet, 3/4 inches in the pole vault, placing fourth. Hoopes is the first CSC vaulter to clear 16 feet in the event and his height ranks him 15th in D-II indoors. Hoopes was also named RMAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week.

“It felt great to finally clear that height,” Hoopes said. “It’s a goal I wanted to accomplish, but I’m not done there. I still have more to accomplish this (indoor) season.”

For the men, the distance medley relay team broke a two-year record running the relay in 10 minutes, 17.77 seconds. The previous record was 10:19.40, set in 2011. The team consisted of Levi Avila, sophomore of Mitchell; Cory Salitrik, freshman of Rock Springs, Wyoming; Cody Davis, sophomore of Fort Morgan, Colorado; and Alejandro Garcia, senior of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming.

Garcia also broke the 3,000 meter record running 8:30.25. The previous record of 8:33.08 was set in 2008 by former Eagle Joe Schultz. He finished seventh out of 53 runners.

The men’s 4×400 relay continued the trend, breaking a four-year record with a time of 3:15.33, while winning the event, edging South Dakota State by 1.42 seconds.

The previous record was 3:17.53, set in 2012. The 4×400 consisted of Lane Higgins, sophomore of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; Zerek Jones, senior of La Junta, Colorado; Austin Fajfer, redshirt freshman of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; and Martin Moriel, senior of Phoenix. Their time currently ranks them 18th in D-II.

On the women’s side two records were broken. Nicky Banzhaf, junior of Chadron, broke the 3,000 record with a time of 10:10.36, while placing fourth. The previous record, 10:27.25, was set by Rebecca Volf, senior of Wood River, at the Husker Invite in Lincoln earlier this season.

Banzhaf now owns records in two distance events, the 3,000 and 5,000. Banzhaf set the 5,000 record earlier this season at the Husker Invite running a 17:32.91.

The women’s distance medley relay team also set a school record with a time of 12:22.97, shattering the previous record by nearly 14 seconds, set in 2014. The team consisted of Alyse Henry, freshman of Rock Springs, Wyoming; Alisha Heelan, sophomore of Oshkosh; Sami Schmit, senior of Cody; and Volf.

The men’s and women’s track teams will travel to one more meet this weekend at Colorado School of Mines, Golden.