USD gets a D-I "first"

[JackJD]

USD will host the Great West Conference Indoor track championships March 1 and 2. The story I read in the Rapid City Journals states:

The University of South Dakota Coyote track and field teams will host the first ever Division I championship in the state of South Dakota when the Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships come to Vermillion on March 1 and March 2.

Hosting the first D-I championship in the state is correct -- the Summit League BB Tourney is the following weekend (please no smacking in this thread: I'm just presenting the news).

Here's a LINK to the Rapid City Journal staff story.

Added later: I don't know much about the track programs at any of the Great West schools other than USD. There was a time Houston Baptist had some runners but I know nothing about them now. My guess: USD will win (hey, why not, the Coyote head coach is SDSU grad and track alum Dave Gottsleben). I suspect the performances will not match up well with performances in the Summit League Indoor Championships. That's one of the nice things about comparisons in track and field: sure, there are indoor facilities differences in running tracks etc. but you can make almost apples-to-apples comparisons. USD's Dakota Dome is a great indoor track facility and the Summit League Indoor Meet will be held at a facility which is not as nice so if Summit League performances are equal to or better than the Great West Conference performances, that says a lot.

[filbert]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

USD will host the Great West Conference Indoor track championships March 1 and 2. The story I read in the Rapid City Journals states:

The University of South Dakota Coyote track and field teams will host the first ever Division I championship in the state of South Dakota when the Great West Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships come to Vermillion on March 1 and March 2.

Hosting the first D-I championship in the state is correct -- the Summit League BB Tourney is the following weekend (please no smacking in this thread: I'm just presenting the news).

Here's a LINK to the Rapid City Journal staff story.

Added later: I don't know much about the track programs at any of the Great West schools other than USD. There was a time Houston Baptist had some runners but I know nothing about them now. My guess: USD will win (hey, why not, the Coyote head coach is SDSU grad and track alum Dave Gottsleben). I suspect the performances will not match up well with performances in the Summit League Indoor Championships. That's one of the nice things about comparisons in track and field: sure, there are indoor facilities differences in running tracks etc. but you can make almost apples-to-apples comparisons. USD's Dakota Dome is a great indoor track facility and the Summit League Indoor Meet will be held at a facility which is not as nice so if Summit League performances are equal to or better than the Great West Conference performances, that says a lot.

I guess if you want to quibble: the WNIT was a championship tournament (although of course it didn't award the championship in SD). Also, SDSU's football team did win the GWFC championship at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

We'll go ahead and give the Yotes this though (but with an asterisk).

[NorCalJack]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Well the Summit League Tourney has an automatic qualifier associated with it. If you win, you automatically get into the NCAA tourney.

Great Western conference does not have an automatic qualifier.

[Cowbell]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Yes, USD will host the first DI national championship. And, it's so USD for telling us about it. Because, they are "South Dakota's Team" and 'The' University of South Dakota.

By the way, this doesn't belong in smack. Those aren't my words, they came out of Vermillion. If the mods want to place it in smack, so be it.

[Cowbell]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Oh, and paraphrasing football coach, Dennis Green, "He is what I thought he would be."

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Yes, USD will host the first DI national championship. And, it's so USD for telling us about it.

I must have missed the part where the article was written by "USD."

This is pretty impressive for USD, but I can't honestly say I follow track. It was the program that was fast-tracked, so it looks like it was the right decision.

[JackJD]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

RabbitObserver: When I started the thread, I was just reporting what I saw in the RC Journal. I later checked USD's website...the Journal's article is essentially USD's press release -- the article was written by USD. You can check USD's athletics website for proof.

[EQguy]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Yes, USD will host the first DI national championship.

No, it is a conference championship. Nice get for USD, will disagree with how big the event actually is.

[AZjack]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

The RC Journal has now changed the title of the story to "USD hosts Conference Championship". A few comments might have hastened that little change.

[jackmd]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Seem logical. I suspect the Summit League conference championship for track and field will also be in Vermillion in the future.

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

Seem logical. I suspect the Summit League conference championship for track and field will also be in Vermillion in the future.

I know I'd be running as fast as I could to get the heck out of there!

Honestly though....they must have a fairly decent track facility down there, no?

[91jack]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

I think USD will do well at this event. This is the best use for the Dakota Dome. I think in a couple years the Great West will be a conference. I guess I just don't know how often these teams meet on the track or anywhere else, yet.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: USD gets a D-I "first"

RabbitObserver: When I started the thread, I was just reporting what I saw in the RC Journal. I later checked USD's website...the Journal's article is essentially USD's press release -- the article was written by USD. You can check USD's athletics website for proof.

Ok. I'll be honest, I didn't read the article. I just saw RCJ and just assumed someone from there wrote the article. My mistake.