Two of the most successful throwers in Wayne State track and field history were inducted into the Sioux City Relays Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon as Michaela Dendinger Sweeney and Carly Fehringer were honored during a ceremony at Elwood Olsen Stadium in Sioux City.
            Dendinger Sweeney earned All-American honors nine times and was a two-time NCAA national champion during her decorated career with the Wildcats from 2013-18.  She captured the 2017 national championship in the shot put and was the 2018 national champion as a senior in the hammer throw.
            She was an eight-time NSIC champion, sweeping the shot put, discus and hammer events at the same NSIC outdoor championships twice in 2017 and 2018 and won the shot put and weight throw at the 2018 NSIC Indoor Championships.
            Dendinger Sweeney was twice named NSIC Women's Field Athlete of the Year and was the 2018 USTFCCCA Central Region Women's Indoor and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.
            She trained under former Olympian AG Kruger at the University of South Dakota during her post collegiate career while working towards a post secondary degree in occupational therapy.  Dendinger Sweeney qualified five times for the US Championships and was a finalist in the hammer throw at the 2021 US Olympic Trials.
            A four-sport athlete at Hartington High School, Dendinger Sweeney was the state runner up in the shot put and discus as a senior.  She was inducted into the Wayne State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. 
            She resides in Sioux Falls with her husband Richard and works for Sanford Health as an occupational therapist.
            Fehringer is a home-grown product from Wayne High School who turned into a four-time NCAA Division II All-American thrower and now serves as throws coach for the Wildcat track and field teams.
             A seven-time NCAA national championship qualifier she placed third in the weight throw at the 2013 Indoor Championships and second in the 2014 Indoor Championships. She was second in the hammer at the 2013 Outdoor Championships and third in the 2014 Outdoor Championships.
            Carly won three Northern Sun Conference championships, one in the weight throw and two in the hammer throw and was named the NSIC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year as well as the Wayne State College Female Athlete of the Year in 2014.
            She spent four seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Wayne State, under her coach Brett Suckstorf, while she continued her own post-collegiate career.  Carly was a four-time U.S. Championships qualifier and participated in the 2016 Olympic Trials in the hammer throw.
            She spent two seasons as the throws coach at Western Colorado University (2019-2020) and coached the 2019 DII national runner-up in the men's shot put.
            Since her return to her alma-mater she has coached 20 national qualifiers including eight first team All-Americans and two second team All-Americans.  Under Fehringer in 2023, Wayne State saw its first-ever national champion in the weight throw as senior Brooklynn Chipps set a new school record at 67' 11" to win the event by over two feet.
            Fehringer coached the Wildcat women's team to a top 20 finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 2022 thanks to All-American finishes from Mckenzie Scheil (2nd) and Brooklynn Chipps (3rd) in the hammer throw.
            In her first season with Wildcat throwers, Fehringer coached seven NCAA national qualifiers that included a pair of national runner ups from Mckenzie Scheil in the weight throw (2021 indoor) and hammer throw (2021 outdoor).
            Carly, a 2019 inductee into the Wayne State College Hall of Fame, resides in Wayne.