NCAA West Region: SDSU jumpers staying relaxed to reach new heights
For the fourth year in a row, South Dakota State will be represented in the women's high jump at the West Preliminary Round of the NCAA Division I outdoor track and field championships.
This time the Jackrabbits have two entries in the event. That it's these two – Mary Wirth and Kali Olson – is funny because of their backstory and their shared approach.
They keep things light. Makes it easier to get off the ground.
"They're serious athletes, but they definitely enjoy practice and competitions in a very light-hearted way," coach Rod DeHaven said. "Whatever it might be, it seems to work well for them."
Wirth is on to regionals for the third time, Olson for the second. They rank 1-2 in school history in the event.
In high school, both won multiple state titles – Wirth three at Lincoln and Olson two in Lisbon, N.D. – and garnered scholarship offers from the University of Minnesota. They were introduced at a Gophers jumping camp.
Olson remembered the meeting and asked Wirth via Facebook to be her roommate at SDSU. But Wirth, who claims to have a bad memory, didn't remember the encounter and was confused by the offer.
They're roommates now and find the awkward history hilarious.
"It took a little while, but once I got to know her I was like, 'Man, we should have been roommates right away,'" Wirth said.
That might matter Saturday at the University of Arkansas. This will be the first shared regional experience for the two; in the past, they had to go it alone, ask a competitor for help in order to get their steps right.
Common sense says that's part of the reason they haven't matched their best marks at the meet. Going big is a requisite for advancing to the NCAA Finals. Only the top 12 at this meet advance.
The three-time Summit League champion Wirth is ranked 10th in the West at 5-10.75, showing no ill effects from taking a strategic redshirt last season. Olson is 43rd in the field of 48 at 5-8.75. She got in last year after a late scratch and needed to set personal bests to earn a return trip.
"If I would have jumped what I did last year I wouldn't have made it into regionals," said Olson, a recent graduate. "I was bumping my height a quarter of an inch to keep improving. It all ended up working out."
Ditto for Shelby Assmus, the final member of the SDSU qualifying crew. The senior from Stickney landed a spot in the shot put by tossing a career best 48-4 at the conference meet. She's a first-time entrant and will compete Thursday.
Wirth and Olson plan to be there to cheer as part of an extended prep period. They left Brookings on Tuesday and won't compete until Saturday night.
Some might find that much downtime to be nerve-racking. Not these two.
"We kind of keep things in perspective when we work together," Wirth said. "We're doing track right now – we should give it our all and work hard and do what we can. But at the end of the day, it's something we're doing for fun – it's not our entire lives. Someday when we're not doing track anymore we'll still have our friendship and other things to base off of."