When USD junior Cody Snyder steps into the discus ring Friday at the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he'll be making history regardless of how he finishes.

The Lake Andes native is the first Coyote male track and field athlete to ever compete in nationals at the Division I level.

But Snyder won't just be representing his school, he'll be carrying on a family tradition, passed down from his father, Mike, a thrower for the Coyotes back in the 80's.  In fact it was dad who Cody to first pick up the discus years ago.

Snyder's season was one of consistency, finishing in the Top 10 in every meet he had a mark in, while winning his second straight Summit League discus crown.

2013 reached its pinnacle with one throw of the discus at the West Region Preliminary round in Austin.  His toss of 187 feet not only qualified him for nationals, it also was a personal best, and a USD and South Dakota record.

That 187-foot qualifier puts him right in the middle of the field heading into the nationals in Eugene, but Snyder knows he's got longer throws in him and will need them to reach his goals this weekend.

While he makes college history this week at USD, he's still in the state high school record books, with a Howard Wood Relays record toss of 191' 6" during his senior year at Andes Central High School in 21010.  That mark is still the fourth-best throw in South Dakota high school history.

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