April 16, 2025

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) dominated the North Star Athletic Association Men's Outdoor Multi-Events Championships, with two athletes placing in the top two in a tight race Wednesday.  Valley City State (N.D.) was the host site for the two-day men's decathlon event at Shelly Ellig Field at Lokken Stadium.

The second day kicked off with 110-meter hurdles, led by Chantz Minear with the fastest time of 14.39 seconds for 925 points.   Tysen Grinde followed up with the second fastest time in the field, clocking a time of 15.90 seconds for 744 points.  Caden Gortmaker registered a time of 20.26 seconds for 329 points, while Bergen Irey collected 113 points after recording a time of 23.76 seconds.

The second event on the second day was the discus.  Minear threw a career best 34.53 meters (113 feet, 3 inches) to finish with 554 points.  Gortmaker also produced a personal record of 34.47 meters (113 feet, 1 inch) to gain 553 points.  Grinde threw a personal best of 33.07 meters (108 feet, 6 inches) for 525 points.  Irey tossed 22.86 meters (75 feet) to collect 326 points.

Minear and Grinde each led the Trojans with 590 points each in the pole vault, clearing the height of 3.90 meters (12 feet, 9.5 inches).  Gortmaker cleared the height of 3.20 meters (10 feet, 6 inches) to finish 406 points.  Irey also cleared the height of 3.20 meters for 406 points, his personal best pole vault mark.

Grinde threw a career best 47.55 meters (156 feet) in the javelin, earning 552 points for DSU.  He was the top javelin mark in the field.  Gortmaker also posted a career best 42.65 meters (139 feet, 11 inches) to record 481 points.  Irey threw a personal record 35.94 meters (117 feet, 11 inches) for 384 points.  Minear registered a personal record of 31.20 meters (102 feet, 4 inches) for 316 points.

The final decathlon event was the 1500-meter run, where all four Trojans' decathlon recorded the top four fastest times in the race.  Grinde recorded the fastest time in the field with a time of 4 minutes, 49.35 points for 623 points.  Irey followed up with the second fastest time in the race, posting a time of 4:58.47 for 569 points.  Gortmaker finished with a time of 5 minutes, 3.30 seconds for 541 points.  Minear registered a personal record time of 5:10.23 for 502 points.

Minear edged his teammate Grinde by just five points in the final decathlon standings, claiming the NSAA Men's Outdoor Track & Field Multi-Events champion.  Minear scored a career best 6,455 points, which was the third most points scored in school decathlon history.  Grinde finished with a personal record 6,450 points to place second, the fourth most points scored in school history.

Minear is currently sixth in the NAIA decathlon, followed by Grinde seventh.  The top 16 in the NAIA men's decathlon standings before the national meet will qualify for the national meet on May 21-23 in Marion, Ind., hosted by Indiana Wesleyan.  The official decathlon list will be announced a few days after the conclusion of the conference and regular season meets in early May.

Gortmaker finished fourth after collecting 5,113 points for Dakota State.  Irey finished sixth with 4,371 points in his decathlon debut.

Dakota State took the commanding lead for the 2025 NSAA Men's Outdoor Track & Field Conference Championships with 26 points.  Dickinson State (N.D.) is second in the standings with 10 points.

Dakota State returns to Mankato, Minn., for the second straight weekend on Friday.  The Trojans compete in the NCAA Division II meet, the Maverick Invitational hosted by Minnesota State-Mankato.  The first events are scheduled to start at 12 p.m.