January 31, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Jan. 31, 2025)—The Dakota State (S.D.) University Trojan women's and men's indoor track & field teams return to Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex (1440 Jackrabbit Blvd.) in Brookings, S.D., for the second straight weekend.  The Trojans compete in the South Dakota State D2/NAIA Open, a two-day indoor track & field which includes multi-events that would count toward to the NSAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

The two-day indoor track & field meet starts Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. with the women's pentathlon and men's heptathlon.  The track events also start at 5 p.m. Friday with rare events in the discus and the 300-meter hurdles, followed by the 5000-meter run.  On Saturday, the heptathlon athletes finish their remaining events at 9:30 a.m.  Saturday's field events start at 11:30 a.m. with the weight throw and shot put.  The running events on Saturday kick off at 12 p.m. with the 60-meter dash qualifying rounds. Dakota Timing will provide the live results of the SDSU D2/NAIA Open on https://dakotatiming.anet.live/meets/42901/.  SDSU will also provide the live video on https://www.midcosportsplus.com/details/LIVE_PROGRAM/item/6367464853112/sdsu-d2-naia-open-track. 

Dakota State was in the Jim Emmerich Invitational on Jan. 25 at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.

Next Up:  DSU prepares for the final week of regular season action on Feb. 7-8.  The Trojans take partial members to the Mount Marty (S.D.) Invitational on Feb. 7, while most members will be at the Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.

Slominski tabs second NSAA weekly honors
Madison, S.D. (Jan. 28, 2025)—Sophomore Nolan Slominski of Dakota State (S.D.) was selected by the North Star Athletic Association for the second time this season as the Men's Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week award.  The Trojans were at Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational in Brookings, S.D., on Jan. 25 at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.

He hit the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time in the 800-meter run for the Trojans at the NCAA Division I indoor track & field meet.  He finished with a time of 1 minute, 53.70 seconds to finish sixth overall in the race.  He leads the North Star Athletic Association in the indoor 800-meter run and ranked No. 14 in the NAIA.

Slominski was also a member of the Trojan 4 x 400-meter relay team with Franklin Johns, Evan Armstrong, and Ben Witt.  They finished sixth in the field with a time of 3 minutes, 24.29 seconds.

Slominski also had the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time in the distance medley relay with Armstrong, Braden Peterson, and Caleb Sayler at the Mount Marty (S.D.) Invitational on Jan. 17.

Three DSU athletics in top 10 women's school marks
Brookings, S.D. (Jan. 25, 2025)—Nine different Dakota State (S.D.) women's indoor track & field athletes produced personal records at the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, hosted by NCAA Division I South Dakota State.  The Trojans had three athletes making their mark in the school record 'Top 10' indoor track & field school record book. 
 
Gabriella Peitzmeier highlighted the Trojans with a career best 15.64 meters (51 feet, 3.75 inches) for a 10th place finish in the weight throw.  Her toss is the fourth farthest in the school record book.  Bella Maxwell added a personal record 15.39 meters (50 feet, 6 inches), the seventh best indoor weight throw in school history.  Kiana Mounga also produced a personal record 14.38 meters (47 feet, 2.25 inches) mark. 

Anna Schneider was third in the 600-meter run for the Trojans.  She clocked a time of 1 minute, 39.63 seconds in the race, which is the fifth fastest time in the school history's 600-meters time.

Amelie Steins posted the fifth fastest time in the 60-meter hurdles for Dakota State, clocking a career best 9.37 seconds.  She also leaped 5.00 meters (16 feet, 5 inches) in the long jump.

A pair of DSU runners earned personal records in the 3000-meter run.  Brooke Beaucaire recorded a time of 10 minutes, 58.04 seconds, while Madelyn Sylva added a time of 11 minutes, 3.32 seconds.

Numerous DSU men's hit personal records at SDSU
Brookings, S.D. (Jan. 25, 2025)—Numerous Dakota State (S.D.) men's indoor track & field athletes recorded personal records in the Jim Emmerich Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division I South Dakota State at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. 

Mohamed Muse highlighted the Trojans as the top NAIA place finisher in the 600-meter run, placing third overall with a time of 1 minute, 22.31 seconds.  Lukas Bennett was also the top NAIA place finisher in the 60-meter dash prelims and finals, finishing eighth overall in the final in 7.00 seconds.

Braden Peterson clocked a personal best 49.92 seconds to place 1th in the 400-meter dash for DSU.  He was .02 seconds shy of joining the DSU men's indoor track & field Top 10 in the 400-meters.  Two Trojan runners finished under two minutes in the 800-meter run, led by Nolan Slominski with the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time of 1:53.70.  Evan Armstrong added a personal record time of 1 minute, 56.89 seconds.  Curtis Johnson also recorded a time of 1:59.81. 

James McClain threw the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark of 15.89 meters (52 feet, 1.75 inches) in the shot put, where he finished fourth overall.  Kacey Cauley added 15.93 meters toss (52 feet, 3.25 inches) to finish eighth in the weight throw.

Trojans prepare for upcoming postseason meets
Madison, S.D. (Jan. 31, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) is preparing for their final regular season meets next weekend before the upcoming postseason meets in February.

The Trojans will take partial members to the Mount Marty (S.D.) Invitational next Friday (Feb. 7).  The majority of the team members will be traveling to Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 7-8 for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division I University of Nebraska.

The North Star Athletic Association will have their final indoor track & field conference championships on Sunday, Feb. 16.  The conference meet will be hosted at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D.  Bellevue (Neb.), Dakota State, Dickinson State (N.D.), Jamestown (N.D.), and Valley City State (N.D.) are scheduled to compete in the conference meet.

The NSAA indoor track & field conference meet will be the final opportunity to meet the NAIA national qualifying marks for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships.  Dakota State was the host of the indoor track & field national championships for more than five years and now will be moved to Gainesville, Fla.

The national indoor track & field meet will be held at Alachua County Sports & Events Center at Celebration Pointe on Feb. 27 through March 1.

2025 NAIA Indoor Track & Field qualifying list
Madison, S.D. (Jan. 31, 2025)—Prior to this weekend's meet in Brookings, S.D.,  Dakota State (S.D.) have six athletes listed on the NAIA national qualifying list.

Chantz Minear had qualified for the national indoor track & field meet in two different events, the heptathlon and the automatic qualifying mark in the 60-meter hurdles for the Trojans.

Nolan Slominski recorded NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark in the 800-meter run.  He is also on the distance medley relay team with Evan Armstrong, Braden Peterson, and Caleb Sayler with the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark.

James McClain recorded the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark in the shot put.  The national indoor track & field meet is slated to be held in Gainesville, Fla., this season.

2024-25 Dakota State University Trojan Indoor Track & Field Top Marks
 

Women's	Events	Men's
Raylee Wallis - 8.12 seconds	60-meter dash	Lukas Bennett - 6.92 seconds
Molli Thornton - 26.05 seconds	200-meter dash	Braden Peterson - 21.97 seconds
N/A	300-meter dash	N/A
Raylee Wallis - 59.24 seconds	400-meter dash	Braden Peterson - 49.92 seconds
Anna Schneider - 1:39.63	600-meter run	Nolan Slominski - 1:21.24
Anna Schneider - 2:22.75	800-meter run	Nolan Slominski - 1:53.20
Lindsey Roth - 3:05.22	1000-meter run	Evan Armstrong - 2:32.23
Lindsey Roth - 5:27.84	1-mile run	Caleb Sayler - 4:19.22
Brooke Beaucaire - 10:58.04	3000-meter run	Caleb Sayler - 8:47.19
N/A	5000-meter run	N/A
Amelie Steins - 9.37 seconds	60-meter hurdles	Chantz Minear - 7.89 seconds
Amelie Steins, RayLee Wallis, Anna Schneider, Molli Thornton - 4:00.91	4 x 400-meter relay	Chantz Minear, Evan Armstrong Nolan Slominski, Braden Peterson - 3:20.10
N/A	4 x 800-meter relay	N/A
Kierra Miller, RayLee Wallis, Anna Schneider, Lindsey Roth - 12:47.70	Distance Medley Relay	Evan Armstrong, Braden Peterson, Nolan Slominski, Caleb Sayler - 10:12.08
Casey Olson - 1.40 meters	High Jump	Tysen Grinde - 1.98 meters
N/A	Pole Vault	Mikal Bennett - 4.10 meters
Amelie Steins - 5.36 meters	Long Jump	Chantz Minear - 6.36 meters
N/A	Triple Jump	Brock Krueger - 12.16 meters
Oliviyah Thornton - 12.32 meters	Shot Put	James McClain - 16.28 meters
Oliviyah Thornton - 16.64 meters	Weight Throw	Kacey Cauley - 15.93 meters
Casey Olson - 2,375 points	Pentathlon/Heptathlon	Chantz Minear - 5,009 points

 
2024-25 Dakota State University NAIA National Qualifiers list
 

Athlete	Event	NAIA Standard	Where/When Qualifying Mark Set
Nolan Slominski	800-meter run	B Provisional	1 minute, 53.20 seconds SDSU Holiday Invitational & Multi's - Dec. 6, 2024
Chantz Minear	60-meter hurdles	A Automatic	7.89 seconds University of South Dakota Invitational - Jan. 18, 2025
Chantz Minear	Heptathlon	B Provisional (Need Top 16 to qualify)	5,009 points SDSU Holiday Invitational & Multi's - Dec. 6, 2024
Oliviyah Thornton	Weight Throw	B Provisional	16.64 meters (54 feet, 7.25 inches) DWU Snow Tiger Meet - Dec. 14, 2024
James McClain	Shot Put	B Provisional	16.28 meters (53 feet, 5 inches) Dordt (Iowa) Open - Jan. 11, 2025
Evan Armstrong, Braden Peterson, Nolan Slominski, Caleb Sayler	Distance Medley Relay	B Provisional	10 minutes, 12.08 seconds Mount Marty (S.D.) Invitational - Jan. 17, 2025