Brigitte Valentine

Brigitte (Gross) Valentine, originally of Alexandria, SD, ranks as one of the premier pole vault standouts in the history of the University of Sioux Falls. In fact, she ranks among the best-ever pole vaulters in the state of South Dakota. In her career, Valentine earned seven All-American honors, which included four at NCAA DII and three more at the NAIA level.

At the time of her graduation, Valentine was the only student-athlete in USF history to win individual national track and field titles in two different divisions and the school’s first individual national champion in track and field at both the NAIA and NCAA DII levels. Additionally, was USF’s only two-time female Student-Athlete of the Year, and was a member of the first USF GPAC Conference championship team.

Valentine won the NCAA DII Indoor pole vault title by going 12-11.5 on March 15, 2014 in Winston-Salem, NC, to become USF’s first-ever NCAA champion in the pole vault or any event. Also in 2014, she was runner-up at the DII nationals with a vault of 13-5.25. At the Howard Wood Dakota Relays that season, she set a school record in the pole vault by winning the event in 13-5.75. In that same season, she finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles with a school record of 8.79 and had the school’s fourth fastest 100-meter dash at the time of 12.4. Additionally, she was on the USF 4x100 meter relay that registered the second fastest time in school history of 47.83 at the Drake Relays. She was third in the pole vault at the NSIC Outdoor Championships.

In 2013, Valentine was fourth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and earned first-team All-American honors. At the 2013 NSIC Indoor Championships, she led a 1-2 finish with Kayla (Friesen) Coffee at the NSIC Championships. In 2011, she was an NAIA national champion indoors and outdoors and set a PR of 13-7 indoors for another school record. Valentine also won the 2011 NSIC Indoor pole vault title and was third in the hurdles.

Valentine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education in 2014 and lives in Sioux Falls with her husband, Tim, where she is a stay-at-home mom for their son, Timothy.