USD Track & Field Announces Additions to Coaching Staff for 2009-10

USD Track & Field Announces Additions to Coaching Staff for 2009-10

8/5/2009






VERMILLION, S.D. -- The University of South Dakota has announced additions to the Coyote Track & Field coaching staff for the 2009-10 season.

Joining the USD track and field coaching staff as assistant coaches will be Inger Appanaitis, a former standout athlete at the University of Nevada; Jeff Seagren, a former USD athlete; and Tyler Custis, a former Big 12 athlete at Texas A&M University.

“These individuals are very good additions to our coaching staff,” said USD women’s head coach Lucky Huber. “They all were accomplished athletes during their collegiate careers and will bring a great deal of expertise to our program.”

Appanaitis will be an assistant coach in the throwing events. She is coming off of an outstanding college career at Nevada. She was a finalist at the 2008 NCAA National Championships in the javelin, an event that she also competed in at the 2008 US Olympic Trials. She was the 2008 WAC Outdoor Champion and the women’s highest point earner the WAC Championships that same year. She was the first athlete in Nevada school history to record regional qualifying marks in four different throwing events including the javelin, hammer throw, discus and shot put events. She is the school record holder in the javelin as well (169-5).

Seagren, a 2008 USD graduate, will serve as an assistant coach after an outstanding career for the Coyote track program. Seagren was an 11-time North Central Conference top-eight finisher, and a member of two conference championship teams. As an accomplished decathlete he placed in multiple conference championships as well as contributing in the open events. In his prep career, Seagren was a seven-time Nebraska state meet qualifier.

Custis is in his first year as a volunteer assistant coach for the throws. While competing for Texas A&M University, he was a 3-time indoor and 2-time outdoor All-Big 12 selection in the shot put, school record holder in the weight throw and an Academic All-American. Tyler received an undergraduate degree in economics in 2007, and now is pursuing an MBA at USD.

The three individuals join the current Coyote staff, which includes Huber; Dave Gottsleben, the Coyote head men’s track and field coach; Dan Fitzsimmonswho serves as the Coyote head cross country coach and works with the distance runners in track; and two-time Olympian Derek Miles, who works with the jumping events.
In addition, three assistants on the Coyote staff will be returning.

Holly Andrews, a three-time All-American for Nebraska Wesleyan, will be in her second year of serving as a volunteer assistant coach working with the female hurdlers.

Matt Hoyt, an eight-time All-American at USD, will be in his seventh season as an volunteer assistant distance coach in the track and field and cross country program.

Colte Haines who was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American team, will be in his second season as a volunteer assistant for jumps with the USD track and field team.

courtesy USD