February 28, 2025

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Five Dakota State (S.D.) men's athletes collected All-America status on the second day of the 2025 U.S. Marines NAIA Men's Indoor Track & Field National Championship Friday.  The three-day national indoor track & field meet is being hosted at Alachua County Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe.  Two new school records were set during the second day of the NAIA national meet.

Chantz Minear and Tysen Grinde continued their action in the heptathlon on the second day, with both athletes highlighting with career best marks in the final two events. 

Minear kicked off the day with the fastest hurdler in the 60-meter hurdles, recording a time of 7.98 seconds to rack up 987 points in the event.  Grinde added 744 points from the hurdles after registering a time of 9.01 seconds.

Minear produced his career best mark of 4.20 meters (13 feet, 9.25 inches) in the pole vault for 673 points.  Grinde also cleared his personal record mark of 3.80 meters (12 feet, 5.5 inches) clearance for 562 points.

Minear stepped aside their heptathlon action as he competed in the 60-meter hurdles semifinals for DSU.  He recorded a time of 7.98 seconds in the first heat, finishing second in the heat.  He advanced to the 60-meter hurdles finals for his second straight year, finishing sixth overall in the field of 23 hurdlers.

Minear returned to action for the final event in the heptathlon's 1000-meter run along with Grinde, where they both produced personal best times.  Grinde posted a time of 2 minutes, 44.91 seconds to claim 840 points (fourth fastest time in the field), followed by Minear with a time of 2 minutes, 46.63 seconds for 801 points.

Minear earned the national runner up honor in the heptathlon with his career best 5,317 points for Dakota State.  He collected his second straight NAIA All-America heptathlon with DSU, breaking a new school record in heptathlon previously held by Treshawn Roberts with 5,174 points in 2023.

It was the third straight year that Dakota State earned runner-up honor in the heptathlon event at the national meet (Minear in 2024 and Roberts in 2022 and 2023).

Grinde fell one place short of earning the NAIA All-America status, finishing ninth overall with his career beset 4,910 points.  His points total is the fifth most in Trojans' heptathlon school history. 

Robert Atwater of Midland (Neb.) won the NAIA national heptathlon title with 5,396 points.

Nolan Slominski produced his season best time in the 800-meter dash semifinals Friday afternoon.  He was placed in the first heat and finished fourth with a time of 1 minute, 52.25 seconds. 

Slominski broke a new DSU indoor 800-meter run school record, previously held by Cody Farland with a time of 1 minute, 52.30 seconds in 2024.

Slominski finished eighth overall in the field, edging Dean Reynolds of Spring Arbor (Mich.) by .06 seconds.  He advanced to Saturday's national 800-meter run finals.

The Trojans wrapped up with the 4 x 800-meter relay national finals.  The members of Evan Armstrong, Curtis Johnson, Franklin Johns, and Slominski produced the NAIA All-America honor by placing sixth overall with a time of 7 minutes, 45.21 seconds.

It was the second straight year that DSU captured the 4 x 800-meter relay All-America status, which included Johnson and Slominski.  Armstrong and Johns collected his first NAIA All-America honor at Dakota State.

DSU scored 11 points in the men's team standings, holding eighth place as a team before heading to the final day of the national meet Saturday.  Marian (Ind.) and Midland are currently tied for first in the standings with 27 points each.

Four Dakota State men's athletes will be in action on the final day of the national meet.  Minear will run in the 60-meter hurdles final at 12:55 p.m. (Eastern Time)/11:55 a.m. (Central Time), followed by Slominski in the 800-meter run final at 2:25 p.m. (ET)/1:25 p.m. (CT).

Lukus Mentele and James McClain will also compete in the shot put for the Trojans at 2:30 p.m. (ET)/1:30 p.m. (CT).