April 12, 2025

MANKATO, Minn. – Casey Olson of Dakota State (S.D.) became the first women's NAIA outdoor track & field national qualifier Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Mankato Open at Mark Schuck Outdoor Track & Field Complex.

The host team captured the team title with 349 points, followed by Winona State (Minn.) second with 104 points.  Dakota State finished third as a team with 66 points, edging NCAA Division II schools Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) fourth with 55 points and Southwest Minnesota State fifth with 41 points. 

Olson broke a 22-year-old DSU's school record in javelin, throwing the NAIA 'B' provisional mark.  She threw 40.99 meters (134 feet, 6 inches) to win the title.  Olson broke the previous record holder by Jaci Kirschenheiter with 40.61 meters (133 feet, 3 inches) in 2003.  Rebecca Hazlett added 10^th place finish after throwing 31.91 meters (104 feet, 8 inches).

Olivyah Thronton placed third in the hammer throw, tossing 50.77 meters (166 feet, 7 inches).  Her toss is the second best in the school record.  Gabriella Peitzmeier added a fifth-place finish after throwing 49.47 meters (162 feet, 4 inches), followed by Bella Maxwell with a sixth-place finish with a career best 49.82 meters (160 feet, 6 inches).  Lilly Young posted a personal record 43.10 meters (141 feet, 5 inches).  Hazlett tossed 39.07 meters (128 feet, 2 inches), followed by McKenna McIlravy with a persona best 34.58 meters (113 feet, 5 inches).

Maxwell was third in the shot put with 13.08 meters mark (42 feet, 11 inches) for the Trojans.  Thornton added an eighth-place finish with 12.38 meters toss (40 feet, 7.5 inches).  Alivia Bickett produced a personal record 11.83 meters (38 feet, 9.75 inches), while Young threw 10.57 meters (34 feet, 8.25 inches).

Thornton placed eighth in the discus with a personal record of 40.82 meters (133 feet, 11 inches) for DSU.  Her mark is the seventh best in the DSU women's outdoor discus school record book.  Peitzmeier added 35.81 meters (117 feet, 6 inches).  McIlravy posted 28.29 meters mark (92 feet, 10 inches).

Kierra Miller earned a runner up honor in the 3000-meter steeplechase for the Trojans, recording a time of 12 minutes, 26.81 seconds.

Molli Thornton clocked a time of 12.64 seconds in the 100-meter dash prelims and advanced to the finals.  Averie Marshall finished the race with a time of 13.26 seconds, followed by Bridget Bartling with a time of 13.41 seconds and Bethany Lawson in 13.45 seconds.

M. Thornton placed sixth in the 100-meters finals, improving her time to 12.55 seconds for Dakota State.

RayLee Wallis clocked a career best 25.33 seconds in the 200-meter dash for the Trojans.  Her time is the third fastest in the school record book.  Marshall added a personal best 27.19 seconds, while Bartling produced a career best time of 27.62 seconds.

Wallis was sixth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.71 seconds.  Ella Carstensen added a time of 1 minute, 4.18 seconds.  Lawson clocked a time of 1:07.32 in the race.

Carstensen leaped 10.20 meters (33 feet, 5.75 inches) to place sixth in the triple jump, followed by M. Thornton with a leap of 9.83 meters (32 feet, 3 inches).

Anna Schneider led the Trojans in the 800-meter run with a fifth-place finish in 2:28.02.  Caitlin Dyer added a time of 2:35.43 to finish tenth.

Roth clocked a time of 5:04.24 to finish 10^th in the 1500-meter run.  Saddie Palmquist recorded a time of 5:27.58, while Valerija Curikova registered a time of 5:35.14.

Alyssa Koffler finished with a time of 18.01 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and 1:21.91 in the 400-meter hurdles.

DSU competed in two relays on Saturday.  Amelie Steins, Bartling, M. Thornton, and Wallis teamed up for a fourth-place finish in the 4 x 100-meter relay in 49.59 seconds.  Their time is the sixth fastest in the school record book.

Bartling, Dyler, Palmquist, and Roth closed the running event in the 4 x 400-meter relay, finishing third in 4:23.64.

Dakota State continues their busy outdoor track & field schedule next week, starting with 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 a.m. on Friday.