March 28, 2025

WAYNE, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off the 2025 outdoor track & field season Friday in the NCAA Division II meet, the Wildcat Outdoor Classic hosted by Wayne State (Neb.) at WSC Memorial Stadium.  The Trojans captured an event title as well as a pair of runners-up in the meet.  DSU also produced 'Top 10' marks in the school record book in three different throwing events.

The Trojans earned the title in the 4 x 400-meter relay event.  The team of Ella Carstensen, Anna Schneider, Molli Thornton, and RayLee Wallis won the relay title with a time of 4 minutes, 10.82 seconds.

Wallis collected a runner-up honor in the 200-meter dash, clocking a time of 25.40 seconds for DSU.  Thornton followed up with a sixth-place finish in 26.08 seconds.  Bethany Lawson finished the race in 27.33 seconds, while Casey Olson recorded a time of 28.91 seconds.  Alyssa Koffler clocked a time of 29.63 seconds in the 200-meters.

Olson posted the third best javelin throw in DSU's school history with a mark of 36.85 meters (120 feet, 10 inches), placing fourth in the event.  Rebecca Hazlett added the fourth farthest mark in school history with 36.29 meters mark (119 feet – personal record).  Steins added a career best 28.23 meters (92 feet, 7 inches).

Averie Marshall led the Trojans with a time of 12.99 seconds in the 100-meter dash.  Bridget Bartling added a time of 13.09 seconds, followed by Lawson with a time of 13.23 seconds.

Amelie Steins was second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.18 seconds for DSU.  Koffler finished with a time of 18.73 seconds.

Steins, Bartling, Wallis, and Thornton teamed up for a third-place finish in the 4 x 100-meter relay, posting a time of 50.32 seconds.

Thornton leaped 4.75 meters (15 feet, 7 inches) in the long jump for Dakota State.  Carstensen added 10.70 meters (35 feet, 1.25 inches) to finish fourth in the triple jump.

Lindsey Roth led Dakota State with a time of 5 minutes, 10.51 seconds to finish third in the 1500-meter run.  Brooke Beaucaire produced a personal record time of 5 minutes, 20.97 seconds to place ninth.  Saddie Palmquist registered a time of 5:31.65 in the race, Schneider in 5:38.21, and Valerija Curikova in 5:42.03.

Gabriella Peitzmeier hit a personal best 49.81 meters (163 feet, 5 inches) in the hammer throw, placed sixth.  Her mark is the second farthest in the DSU women's outdoor track & field school record book.  Bella Maxwell added a personal record of 48.72 meters (159 feet, 10 inches) and finished eighth.  Her mark is the fourth farthest in the school record.

Other DSU hammer throwers results included Young – 41.59 meters (136 feet, 5 inches), Hazlett – 40.73 meters – 133 feet, 5 inches and McKenna McIlravy – 32.17 meters (105 feet, 6 inches).

Peitzmeier recorded a career best 38.46 meters (126 feet, 2 inches) mark in the discus for the Trojans. Young added 33.16 meters (108 feet, 9 inches).

Maxwell tossed 12.51 meters (41 feet, .5 inches) in the shot put and finished ninth.  Her shot-put mark is the eighth best mark in DSU school history.

Dakota State continues their outdoor track & field action next weekend as they travel to Vermillion, S.D.  The Trojans compete in the NCAA Division I outdoor track & field meet, the University of South Dakota Early Bird Invitational.  The meet will be held at Lillibridge Track Complex.