January 31, 2025

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) added another men's event to their NAIA indoor track & field national qualifying list Friday afternoon.  The Trojans competed in the South Dakota State D2/NAIA Open at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex.

DSU had four athletes competing in the two-day heptathlon event, with four different events on the first day.  Chantz Minear kicked off the day with the top time in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.12 seconds, collecting 840 points.  Tysen Grinde added 759 points after recording a time of 7.36 seconds.  Caden Gortmaker produced a personal record 7.61 seconds for 678 points.  Bergan Irey competed in his first heptathlon, starting with a personal record 7.80 seconds for 619 points.

The second event of the heptathlon was the long jump.  Minear leaped 6.31 meters (20 feet, 8.5 inches) for 655 points, followed by Grinde with 6.23 meters leap (20 feet, 5.25 inches) for 637 points.  Gortmaker recorded 6.04 meters leap (19 feet, 9.75 inches) for 595 points, while Irey produced 5.23 meters mark (17 feet, 2 inches) for 427 points.

Minear tossed 11.63 meters (38 feet, 2 inches) for 584 points in the shot put.  Grinde threw 10.93 meters (35 feet, 10.5 inches) to collect 542 points.  Gortmaker posted a mark of 10.30 meters (33 feet, 9.5 inches) for 504 points.  Irey earned 399 points after throwing 8.55 meters (28 feet, .75 inches).

The heptathlon concluded with the high jump, led by Grinde with 714 points after clearing the height of 1.90 meters (6 feet, 2.75 inches).  Gortmaker (season best) and Minear each scored 687 points after clearing 1.87 meters (6 feet, 1.5 inches).  Irey made a 1.72 meters clearance (5 feet, 7.75 inches) for 560 points.

Minear totaled 2,766 points after the first day of heptathlon, trailing by 41 points behind Eli Radtke of NCAA Division II Northern State (S.D.).  Grinde followed up with 2,652 points for third place in the standings, followed by Gortmaker sixth with 2,464 points.  Irey collected 2,005 points after the first day.

The heptathlon continues Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. with three remaining events – the 60-meter hurdles, followed by the pole vault, and the 1,000-meter run.   The heptathlon final scores will go toward the 2025 North Star Athletic Association Indoor Track & Field Championships, which is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 16, at SJAC.

Three Trojans competed in a rare indoor track & field event Friday.  Lukus Mentele threw 43.56 meters (142 feet, 11 inches) in the discus.  He was the top NAIA place finisher in the event, finishing 10^th overall in the field.  His discus mark is the third farthest in the school indoor track & field school record book.

Aaron Van Hemert established a school record in the rare 300-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 40.59 seconds to place fifth.  His time broke the previous record of 41.04 seconds set by Obang Ojulu in 2022.  Bryant Paulson added a time of 47.38 seconds in the race.

All three DSU long-distance runners produced personal record in the 5000-meter run, led by Joshua Tucker with a time of 16 minutes, 16.43 seconds.  Lane Henrichs followed up with a time of 16:26.60, and Jonah Thiele in 16:47.27.

Three Trojan relay teams competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay, the final event on the first day of the SDSU D2/NAIA Open.  The team of Evan Armstrong, Franklin Johns, Curtis Johnson, and Nolan Slominski clocked a time of 7 minutes, 48.81 seconds, to finish second in the race.  Their time is the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time and fifth fastest time in the DSU men's indoor track & field school record book.

Mohaned Muse, Logan Recoy, Holden Jelen, and Yohannes Kassa finished with a time of 8:00.14.  Tyler Nicke, Dawson Miller, Blake Schmiedt, and Grayson Madsen recorded a time of 8:10.84.

Dakota State continues their indoor track & field action on Saturday morning on the second day of the SDSU D2/NAIA Open.  The first events are set for 9:30 a.m. with the heptathlon.