April 12, 2025

MANKATO, Minn. – Chantz Minear highlighted the Dakota State (S.D.) men's outdoor track & field team Saturday afternoon with a pair of titles at the NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Mankato Open at Mark Schuck Track & Field Complex.  He also became the first Trojan men's athlete to qualify for the NAIA Men's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships this season.

The host team won the team title with 288 points.  The Trojans finished second with 97 points, defeating Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) who scored 81 points followed by Southwest Minnesota State with 53 points.  Dakota State had won three event titles in the meet.

Minear produced NAIA B' provisional qualifying mark in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 14.22 seconds.  He advanced to the finals after finishing second in the prelims.  Minear shattered his previous school record in the finals, improving his time to 14.07 seconds to win the title.  His time is also the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying time for the national meet.  He broke his previous school record time of 14.25 seconds in 2024.

Minear added the 400-meter hurdles title with a time of 53.91 seconds, posting the second fastest time in the DSU men's outdoor track & field history.  Aaron Van Hemert added a time of 59.52 seconds in the race, followed by Bryant Paulsen with a time of 1:05.47.

Paulsen cleared the high jump of 1.72 meters (5 feet, 7.75 inches).  Brock Krueger leaped 12.51 meters (41 feet, .5 inches) to collect a sixth-place finish in the triple jump.

Dakota State dominated the 800-meter run with seven runners placing in the top ten, while five runners produced under two-minutes mark.  Nolan Slominski captured the title with a time of 1:56.29, followed by Curtis Johnson second in 1:56.32, Mohamed Muse third in 1:56.99, and Evan Armstrong fourth in 1:57.76.  Yohannes Kassa was seventh in 1:59.87, Logan Recoy eighth in 2:00.31, and Tyler Nicke 10^th in 2:00.80.
Other DSU results in the 800-meters included Holden Jelen – 2:04.58, Grayson Madsen – 2:05.09, Franklin Johns – 2:09.92, and Hunter Dimick – 2:22.91 (personal record).

Joshua Tucker collected a runner up honor in the 5000-meter run with a time of 16 minutes, 27.86 seconds.  Jonah Thiele was third in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11 minutes, 7.43 seconds.

Lukas Bennett recorded a time of 10.77 seconds to place eighth in the 100-meter dash prelims and advanced to the finals.  Tayshaun Agard registered a time of 11.59 seconds, while Javon Newkirk added a time of 11.77 seconds.  Bennett finished ninth in the 100-meter dash finals in 10.82 seconds.

Bennett also finished fourth in the 200-meter dash in 21.69 seconds.  Noah Haynes clocked a time of 25.69 seconds.

Ben Witt led the Trojans in the 400-meter dash in 51.84 seconds.  Dawson Miller followed up with a personal best 53.89 seconds, while Haynes added a personal record of 56.78 seconds.  Newkirk finished the 400-meters in 58 seconds.

Lane Henrichs placed sixth in the 1500-meter run with a personal record time of 4:10.35.  Caleb Sayler was eighth in 4:11.63.  Blake Schmiedt recorded a time of 4:23.94, followed by Benjamin Strunk in 4:31.83, David Brock with a personal record time of 4:38.66, and Lucas Harr in 5:10.30.

Zachary Haugen threw a career best 53.20 meters (174 feet, 6 inches) to place third in the hammer throw.  His mark is the fifth farthest in the DSU men's outdoor track & field school record book.  Houston Lunde added 42.14 meters (138 feet, 3 inches) toss, followed by Tarin Bingham with a personal best 41.58 meters (136 feet, 5 inches).  Other DSU hammer throw results included Jack Hemmen – 41.53 meters – 136 feet, 3 inches, Keegan Hensley – 40.12 meters – 131 feet, 7 inches, Robert Begalka – 31.59 meters – 103 feet, 8 inches, and Brock Tuttle – 31.19 meters – 102 feet, 4 inches.

Bergen Irey registered a personal record of 35.49 meters (116 feet, 5 inches) to finish 10^th in the javelin.

Numerous DSU throwers produced personal records in the discus.  Haugh finished with 42.75 meters (140 feet, 3 inches) to place eighth, followed by Luke Borowicz for a ninth-place finish with 41.26 meters (135 feet, 4 inches).  Other results included Hemmen – 39.12 meters – 128 feet, 4 inches – personal record, Tuttle – 38.79 meters – 127 feet, 3 inches – personal record, Lunde – 35.81 meters – 117 feet, 6 inches, Caden Gortmaker – 33.51 meters – 109 feet, 11 inches – personal record, Begalka – 33.04 meters – 108 feet, 5 inches – personal record, Minear – 32.50 meters – 106 feet, 7 inches – personal record, Tysen Grinde – 31.45 meters – 103 feet, 2 inches – personal record, and Irey – 23.26 meters – 76 feet, 4 inches – personal record.

Begalka tossed 12.71 meters (41 feet, 8.5 inches) in the shot put.  Hensley added 12.04 meters (39 feet, 6 inches) and Tuttle 11.79 meters (38 feet, 8.25 inches).

Willie Hutchins, Ashton Sandbulte, Van Hemert, and Bennett teamed up for a fifth-place finish in the 4 x 100-meter relay in 42.36 seconds.

DSU had five different relay teams in the 4 x 400-meter relay to conclude the running events.  Bennett, Armstrong, Muse, and Slominski finished fourth in 3:23.30.  Van Hemert, Johns, Johnson, and Witt placed sixth in 3:26.33.  Nicke, Recoy, Kassa, and Brock finished with a time of 3:35.41.  Krueger, Schmiedt, Jelen, and Madsen recorded a time of 3:39.75.  Strunk, Henrichs, Sayler, and Harr finished with a time of 3:45.01.
Dakota State will be sending their multi-event athletes for the NSAA Outdoor Track & Field Multi-Events Championships on Tuesday and Wednesday at Valley City State (N.D.).

DSU hosts The Trojan Classic on Thursday and Friday at The Dan Beacom Track Complex.  The first events are set for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and 10:15 a.m. on Friday.