Salem native, USD hurdler Jacy Pulse preparing for NCAA championships, Olympic Trials
May 14—VERMILLION — University of South Dakota track star Jacy Pulse hopes the next month is a memorable one.
The senior is eyeing a return to the NCAA track and field national championships in the 400-meter hurdles from June 5-8 and has already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, which occur from June 21-30.
And Pulse's aspirations aren't far-fetched. She currently holds the 13th-fastest 400-meter hurdle time in NCAA Division I this season and has already broken the trials' qualifying mark of 56.20 seconds.
For the Salem, South Dakota, native who just five years ago was winning Class A state titles at McCook Central/Montrose, the magnitude of her circumstances is not lost on Pulse.
"If you told me in high school I'd be where I am now, I wouldn't believe you. I'd probably laugh at you," Pulse said. "But it's been great to have success."
Pulse had a tremendous junior season in 2023, breaking her personal best of 56.11 seconds and placing 10th in the 400 hurdles at the national championships.
Entering 2024, one of her main objectives was to get down to 55 seconds — a time that would currently make her the fifth-fastest 400-meter hurdler in NCAA Division I.
The campaign began in the fall, when she trained to compete in the open 400 during the indoor season and focused on building up her strength and endurance. Once the indoor season ended, she switched gears to focus on the hurdles, practicing the mechanics and pacing out her strides.
The spring has brought some challenges, as poor weather has prevented Pulse from getting the necessary outdoor reps on the hurdles. She credits this lack of reps as to why she "didn't have the best race" in her outdoor opener, when she ran a 57.61 at the Texas Relays.
However, Pulse has turned a corner in the past month. She ran her season best of 56.17 on April 17 at the Mt. Sac Relays in California, well enough to qualify for the Olympic Trials. On May 9-11, she took home Summit League title in the 400-meter hurdles (57.70) and was a part of the Coyotes' first-place 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter teams.
"With every race, I feel a lot more confident in the spacing in between and what steps I should be taking and what leg I should be anticipating for hurdle lifts," Pulse said.
Now, she'll focus on the NCAA West Regionals on May 22-25 in Arkansas, where she has to place top-12 to reach the national championships in Eugene, Oregon.
"I'm really happy with where I'm at right now with the 400 hurdles," Pulse said. "And I'm excited for the rest of the season."
While Pulse pursues her track dreams, she's a part of USD's rigorous nursing program.
Studying while competing for the Coyotes requires some juggling for the Summit League all-academic student-athlete. Sometimes, Pulse has to show up to practice late or works with her coaches to alter her workout times.
"It's definitely been a challenge. It's insanely busy," Pulse said.
Her ability to tackle everything in front of her is something she credits to her upbringing. Her father, James, is "the hardest worker I (Pulse) know" and she tries to follow his example.
She also has experience balancing a busy schedule since high school, when she was a multi-sport athlete at McCook Central/Montrose. Pulse credits her coaches and teachers in Salem for instilling in her the discipline she's needed to succeed at the college level.
And those individuals remain key supporters.
"Whenever we share things on Facebook, seeing everyone's comments and stuff, it's really great to have that support system," Pulse said. "And that's what I love about being in a small town. I don't know if everyone knows that I see all their comments or not, but I do, and I really, really appreciate them. I think it's something that keeps me going."
