Cougars at Nationals

By: Abby Whittington

Two women represented the University of Sioux Falls at the 2023 NCAA Championships this winter; Emily Swanson in Track & Field, and Inte Pas in Swimming. 

Sophomore Emily Swanson competed in the women’s pentathlon at the 2023 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championship Meet held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Swanson placed 12th in the nation with a score of 3,710 and was awarded Second Team All-American for her finish. Swanson also competed in the open high jump and placed 13th overall with a height of 1.71 meters. When asked if the national championship meet was her goal, Swanson responded immediately, “Yes definitely! I was close last year so I was really wanting to make it this year. That was the goal from the start.”

The women’s indoor pentathlon consists of five events; high jump, 800 meter run, 60 meter hurdles, shot put, and long jump. In the high jump Swanson cleared a new career best 1.71 meters to take 3rd place. The 800 meter run was her next best event of the day, with a time of 2:23.89, and a 6th place finish. Swanson took 8th in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.93. In the shot put, she finished 8th with a throw of 10.51 meters. Swanson jumped for 5.09 meters in the long jump for a 14th place finish. 

This indoor season, Swanson has already broken the USF women’s pentathlon record twice. First, was in February at the Bearcat Open where she finished with a score of 3,752 points. Then, Swanson broke her own record just a few weeks later at the NSIC Championship Meet with a score of 3,771 points. This propelled her to a 2nd place finish in the conference and allowed her to compete in the NCAA National Championship Meet. Swanson is the first USF athlete since Katlyn Sawtelle (2015) to place in the pentathlon at the NCAA Meet. 

Sophomore Inte Pas competed in the women’s 200 breaststroke at the 2023 NCAA Swimming Championships held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pas finished 12th in the nation with a time of 2:18.95 and was awarded Second Team All-American. Pas broke the USF school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:16.08 at the Augustana Invitational in November. This career best time is what qualified her for the NCAA Championships. Pas competed at the 2023 NCAA Swimming Championships in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, “but this year the 100 was less of my main event, the 200 was definitely the goal to make it back” she shared.

At the NSIC Conference Championships, Pas finished first in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:18.35. She was also runner up in the 100 breaststroke. Both of these finishes earned USF Swimming 41 points, which was put toward their score of 554.5, giving them a 4th place finish in the at the NSIC Championships. Pas was an NSIC All-Conference Honoree in the 200 Medley Relay and the 200 Breaststroke.