April 23, 2024

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) poured in 212 points to win the first ever The DSU Twilight Meet men's team title Tuesday at The Dan Beacom Track Complex.  Numerous Trojans also produced personal records at the outdoor track & field meet.

NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State was second with 114 points, followed by Briar Cliff (Iowa) third with 60 points.  Wayne State (Neb.) placed fourth with 50 points, South Dakota State fifth with 48 points, South Dakota Mines sixth with 47 points, and Augustana (S.D.) with 40 points.  Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Dordt (Iowa) each scored 14 points.

Xander Sheehan began the day with a personal record 46.25 meters (151 feet, 9 inches) to place fourth in the javelin throw for Dakota State.  Caden Gortmaker added 39.14 meters (128 feet, 5 inches) to finish seventh. 

Zachary Haugen led the Trojans with a sixth-place finish in the hammer throw, recording a career best 49.71 meters toss (163 feet, 1 inch).  His toss is the seventh farthest in the DSU men's outdoor track & field school history.  Jackson Zastera followed up with an eighth-place finish with a personal record 48.17 meters (158 feet).  Kacey Cauley was 11^th after tossing a personal best 45.72 meters (150 feet). 

Other DSU hammer throwers results included – Houston Lunde – 43.95 meters (144 feet, 2 inches), Luke Borowicz – 43.38 meters (142 feet, 4 inches – personal best), Dylan Johansen – 42.84 meters (140 feet, 6 inches – personal record), Gunnar Chamley – 42.12 meters (138 feet, 2 inches), Trenton Moran – 41.05 meters (134 feet, 8 inches – personal record), Lukus Mentele – 37.97 meters (124 feet, 7 inches), Keegan Hensley – 36.29 meters (119 feet), and Kendall Cauley – 33.35 meters (109 feet, 5 inches).

A pair of DSU alumni throwers also competed in the hammer throw.  Conner Tordsen threw 55.56 meters (182 feet, 3 inches) to collect a runner-up honor, followed by Jacob Joachim who finished third with 51.76 meters toss (169 feet, 9 inches).

James McClain continued to break his personal record in the shot put, extending his NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying mark of 15.95 meters (52 feet, 4 inches).  He was the top NAIA place finisher in the event, earning the fifth farthest in school history.  Johansen added a seventh-place finish with 14.33 meters toss (47 feet, .25 inches), followed by Moran with a personal record 14.27 meters for an eighth-place finish.  Ka. Cauley was ninth after throwing a personal best 13.56 meters (44 feet, 6 inches).

Other DSU shot-put throwers results included Mentele – 12.70 meters (41 feet, 8 inches), Lunde – 12.66 meters (41 feet, 6.5 inches), Zastera - 12.43 meters (40 feet, 9.5 inches), Joshua Shaffer – 11.75 meters (38 feet, 6.75 inches), and Hensley – 11.72 meters – 38 feet, 5.5 inches). 

Tordsen was fourth in the shot put with 15.11 meters toss (49 feet, 7 inches), while Joachim recorded 12.71 meters toss (41 feet, 8.5 inches).

DSU's discus throwers results included McClain – 42.31 meters (138 feet, 9 inches), Mentele – 41.84 meters (137 feet, 3 inches), Zastera – 41.41 meters (135 feet, 10 inches – personal record), Haugen – 41.21 meters (135 feet, 2 inches), Hensley – 37.39 meters (122 feet, 8 inches – personal record), Shaffer – 37.11 meters (121 feet, 9 inches), Johansen – 36.93 meters (121 feet, 2 inches), Jack Hemmen – 35.45 meters (116 feet, 3 inches), Chamley – 35.23 meters (115 feet, 7 inches), Lunde – 35.23 meters (115 feet, 7 inches), Moran – 33.69 meters (110 feet, 6 inches), and Ke. Cauley – 32.79 meters (107 feet, 7 inches).

Jace Kelley captured the high jump title after clearing a personal record 1.87 meters (6 feet, 1.5 inches) for Dakota State.  Bryant Paulsen added a third-place finish with a personal best 1.77 meters clearance (5 feet, 9.75 inches).

Nathan Ingalls leaped 6.26 meters in the long jump, collecting a fifth-place finish for DSU.  He was also second in the triple jump, recording 13.51 meters leap (44 feet, 4 inches).  Corbin Mackaben was fourth after leaping 12.40 meters (40 feet, 8.25 inches) in the triple jump.

The Trojan 4 x 100-meter relay team – Willie Hutchins, Hudson Fix, Lukas Bennett, and Michael Foster – produced the team's season best time of 42.32 seconds, securing the first-place finish.

Dalton Brouwer led Dakota State with a runner-up honor in the 3000-meter steeplechase.  He finished with a time of 10 minutes, 26.86 seconds.  Blake Schmiedt was fourth with a time of 10 minutes, 42.06 seconds.  Lane Henrichs registered a time of 10:46.90 for a fifth-place finish, followed by Reese Henrie sixth in 11:11.59, and Lucas Harr seventh in 12:08.41. 

Dakota State placed six runners in the top seven in the 400-meter dash.  Evan Armstrong led the Trojans with a runner-up finish with a time of 51.63 seconds, followed by Joshua Krull with a third-place finish in 52.25 seconds.  Joseph Larson was fourth in 52.38 seconds, Tyler Nicke fifth in 53.22 seconds, Roger Oliete Tejedor sixth in 53.63 seconds and Levi Jaacks seventh in 53.96 seconds.  Grayson Madsen clocked a personal record time of 54.68 seconds for a 10^th place finish, while Kelley was 11^th in 55.50 seconds.

Hutchins led the Trojans with a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.79 seconds.  Bennett was fifth in 10.95 seconds, followed by Tramayne Black sixth in 11.09 seconds.  Niyongabo Yohana was 10^th in 11.27 seconds. 

Paulsen recorded a time of 1 minute, 2.84 seconds to finish third in the 400-meter hurdles.

Mikal Bennett cleared the height of 3.95 meters (12 feet, 11.5 inches) to place third in the pole vault for DSU.  Caleb Roberts was fourth after clearing the height of 3.80 meters (12 feet, 5.5 inches). 

Hutchins led the Trojans with a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash, clocking a time of 22.46 seconds.  Michael Foster was fifth with 22.56 seconds, followed by Bennett with a sixth-place finish in 22.58 seconds.  Black was eight in 22.96 seconds, Larson placed 10^th in 23.20 seconds, and Yohana was 12^th in 23.97 seconds.  Tejedor was 13^th with a time of 23.98 seconds.

The Trojans ran under the lights in the final three running events, starting with the 1500-meter run.  Kaiden Akey earned an eighth-place finish after posting a personal record time of 4 minutes, 40.09 seconds.  Nate Hall added a personal best 4:45.74 to place ninth.  Hunter Dimick was 10^th in 5:09.14. 

Dawson Miller paced DSU with a fourth-place finish in the 800-meter run.  He was the top NAIA place finisher with a time of 2:01.92.  Ben Witt added a personal record time of 2 minutes, 5.69 seconds to place 10^th.   Tucker Murtha, DSU alumni, was 12^th with a time of 2 minutes, 13.62 seconds.

Armstrong, Larson, Jaacks, and Krull led the Trojans' 4 x 400-meter relay team to a first-place finish with a time of 3:32.57.  Madsen, Schmiedt, Harr, and Henrie finished second in 3:47.58.

Taylor Myers captured the 10,000-meter run with a time of 32 minutes, 27.25 seconds.  Harrison Greathouse followed up with a runner-up honor in 33:21.62.  Joshua Tucker placed third with a time of 34 minutes, 15.53 seconds.  Jonah Thiele was fifth in 35:27.95.  DSU alumni Tyler Kennedy finished fourth with a time of 34 minutes, 36.93 seconds.

Dakota State prepares for a busy outdoor track & field meet in the prestigious Drake Relays at the Bulldog Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.  The Trojans open their action Wednesday with a pair of decathlon athletes – Treshawn Roberts and Tysen Grinde – at 11:30 a.m.

DSU will also have the 4 x 800-meter relay, hurdles, sprint medley relay, and distance medley relay at Drake Relays from Thursday through Saturday morning.