December 14, 2024

MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) dominated the Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Snow Tiger men's indoor track & field meet Saturday, capturing eight different event titles at DWU/Avera Sports & Wellness Complex.  The day also saw a new school record in the 60-meter hurdles, as well as producing the NAIA automatic qualifying time.

Chantz Minear clocked the top time in the 60-meter hurdles for the Trojans with a time of 8.04 seconds.  Aaron Van Hemert added a personal record time of 8.70 seconds to finish second, followed by Tysen Grinde with a time of 9.40 seconds for a fifth-place finish.  Javon Newkirk registered a time of 12.40 seconds in the event.

Minear established a new DSU men's indoor track & field school record in the 60-meter hurdles, hitting 7.99 seconds to win the title.  He produced the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time last week at South Dakota State, and now his time is the NAIA 'A' automatic national qualifying time.  Van Hemert was third in the finals with a time of 8.71 seconds.  Grinde registered a personal record time of 9.10 seconds to place fifth.

Grinde produced a personal best 6.32 meters (20 feet, 9 inches) to finish fifth in the long jump for the Trojans.

Lukas Bennett was the top place finish in the 60-meter dash prelims with a time of 6.96 seconds, followed by Braden Peterson with the second fastest time in 7.03 seconds.  Tayshaun Agard was sixth in 7.28 seconds.  Brayden Houlette clocked a time of 7.39 seconds, Payton Anderson in 7.53 seconds, and Mattix Hausman in 7.56 seconds.

Bennett hit a career best 6.92 seconds to win the 60-meter dash title, posting the seventh fastest time in the DSU men's indoor track & field school record book.  Peterson added a third-place finish in 6.98 seconds, while Agard added a personal record time of 7.27 seconds.

Van Hemert was fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.51 seconds.  Houlette placed fifth in 23.57 seconds, while Anderson was 11^th with a time of 24.10 seconds.  Agard clocked a time of 24.15 seconds, Hausman in 24.94 seconds, and Newkirk in 25.46 seconds.

Peterson won the 400-meter dash for Dakota State, clocking a time of 50.91 seconds.  Nolan Slominski earned the runner-up honor in 51.52 seconds, while Ben Witt was fifth in 53.78 seconds.

Dakota State dominated the 800-meter run with seven runners placing in the top seven, led by Franklin Johns who won the title in a thriller by .03 seconds (2:00.08).  Evan Armstrong was second in 2:00.11, followed by Lane Henrichs with a personal record time of 2:01.60 (third place), Yohannes Kassa with a personal best time of 2:02.92 (fourth place), Blake Schmiedt in 2:04.11 (fifth place), Dawson Miller in 2:05.76 (sixth place), and Grayson Madsen in 2:06.40 (seventh place).  Benjamin Strunk was ninth in 2:09.39 and Lucas Harr finished in 2:18.64.

Houston Lunde tossed a season best 15.79 meters (51 feet, 9.75 inches) to win the weight throw title for the Trojans.  Zachary Haugen produced a personal record 15.38 meters (50 feet, 5.5 inches) to finish second, while Luke Borowicz was third with 14.99 meters toss (49 feet, 2.25 inches) to finish third.  Lukus Mentele was fourth with 14.46 meters toss (47 feet, 5.25 inches).  Dylan Johansen established a personal record 14.36 meters (47 feet, 1.5 inches) to finish sixth, followed by Jack Hemmen seventh with 13.19 meters toss (43 feet, 3.25 inches), and Keegan Hensley eighth after throwing 13.17 meters (43 feet, 2.5 inches).

Other DSU weight throw results include Tarin Bingham with a personal record 12.70 meters (41 feet, 8 inches), Trenton Moran 12.38 meters (40 feet, 7.5 inches), Robert Begalka 11.91 meters (39 feet, 1 inch), and Brock Tuttle 10.18 meters (33 feet, 4.75 inches).

Mentele earned runner-up honor in the shot put, tossing 15.16 meters (49 feet, 9 inches).  Moran was third with 14.42 meters toss (47 feet, 3.75 inches), followed by Johansen fourth with 13.67 meters (44 feet, 10.25 inches).  Sam Sather threw 13.01 meters (42 feet, 8.5 inches), Hensley 12.85 meters (39 feet, 10.75 inches), Joshua Shaffer 12.16 meters (39 feet, 10.75 inches), Begalka 11.81 meters (38 feet, 9 inches), Tuttle (38 feet, 7.75 inches), and Grinde with a personal best 11.19 meters (36 feet, 8.5 inches).

Caleb Sayler won the 1-mile run with a time of 4 minutes, 22.52 seconds for Dakota State.  Bergen Irey was third in the 1000-meters after recording a time of 2 minutes, 55.42 seconds.

Irey cleared the height of 1.70 meters (5 feet, 7 inches) in the high jump for the Trojans.  Mikal Bennett was third in the pole vault after clearing 4.05 meters (13 feet, 3.5 inches).  Caden Gortmaker hit his career best 3.60 meters (11 feet, 9.75 inches) to finish fourth in the pole vault.

DSU had four different relay teams in the final running event for the day.  Minear, Houlette, Slominski, and Peterson captured the event title in 3 minutes, 25.55 seconds.  Van Hemert, Hausman, Armstrong, and Johns placed third in 3:34.05.

Witt, Agard, Dawson Miller, and Gortmaker teamed up with a time of 3:39.24.  The relay team of Madsen, Kassa, Sayler, and Schmiedt finished with a time of 3:40.85.

Dakota State heads in the winter break and returns to action in the New Year 2025 on Jan. 11.  The Trojans travel to Sioux Center, Iowa, for the Dordt (Iowa) Open.