Dickinson State Athletics

Women's Track and Field 5/8/2025 8:48:00 PM Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director

Trojans earn two NSAA event titles after the first day of NSAA Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships, places second in team standings

Peitzmeier hit new school record in hammer throw; Olson becomes first Trojan to win NSAA conference javelin title

May 8, 2025

DICKINSON, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) maintained their lead throughout the early session on the first day of the 2025 North Star Athletic Association Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships Thursday. The two-day conference meet is being held at Dickinson State (N.D.) Badlands Activity Center and Roger Huffman Field, with DiSU serving as the host site for the final NSAA championship event at Biesiot Activities Center.

Seven-time defending champion Dickinson State overtook the lead from Dakota State at the end of the first day. The Blue Hawks tallied 135 points in the women's standings, followed by the Trojans second with 90 points. Jamestown (N.D.) is third with 49 points, while Valley City State (N.D.) is fourth with 41 points.

Dakota State highlighted the first day with numerous personal records and a new school record in the hammer throw.

The first event kicked off Thursday morning with the 10,000-meter, which was moved from Thursday's afternoon session to accommodate the weather conditions. Brooke Beaucaire earned a runner up finish with a time of 40 minutes, 41.60 seconds. Valerija Curikova was fifth in 44:10.69, followed by Madelyn Sylva sixth in 44:24.61.

Casey Olson captured the NSAA women's javelin title, the first Trojan to win the NSAA conference javelin title. She threw the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark of 40.38 meters (132 feet, 5 inches). Rebecca Hazlett added an eighth-place finish after throwing 34.30 meters (112 feet, 6 inches).

The running events returned to action Thursday afternoon, highlighted by Amelie Steins with a runner-up honor in the 100-meter hurdles. She produced a personal record time of 14.68 seconds, which tied for the second fastest time in DSU women's 100-meter hurdles history (Bobbi Jo Dykstra in 2007). Olson was ninth in 17.38 seconds, followed by Alyssa Koffler with a time of 18 seconds.

All five DSU sprinters in the prelims advanced to the NSAA's 100-meter dash finals on Friday. Molli Thornton led the Trojans with second place in the prelims, clocking a season best 12.42 seconds. Steins followed up with third place with a personal record 12.52 seconds. Averie Marshall was fifth with a personal record of 12.71 seconds, Bethany Lawson sixth with a season best of 12.90 seconds, and Bridget Bartling seventh with a personal record of 12.92 seconds.

DSU won the 4 x 800-meter relay conference title for the second straight year. The team of Kierra Miller, Anna Schneider, Saddie Palmquist, and Lindsey Roth finished with a time of 9 minutes, 53.06 seconds to win the title.

The final running event on Thursday wrapped up with the 400-meter dash, led by RayLee Wallis with a personal record time of 58.06 seconds to place third. Her time is the second fastest in the DSU women's outdoor 400-meter dash school history. Thornton added a season best time of 59.41 seconds to finish fifth. Her time is the seventh fastest in the 400-meter dash school record book.

Steins recorded a career best time of 59.74 seconds to place sixth in the 400-meter dash for Dakota State. Caitlin Dyer added eighth place with a personal best time of 1:00.71, followed by Lawson with a season best time of 1:03.96.

The Trojans closed the first day with a pair of field events. Gabriella Peitzmeier highlighted the Trojans with a new school record in the hammer throw, improving her persona record mark of 54.26 meters (178 feet) to claim the runner-up honor. Her mark became the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying mark.

Peitzmeier broke the previous school record holder by Oliviyah Thornton with 53.14 meters mark last season (174 feet, 4 inches).

Bella Maxwell placed fifth in the hammer throw with 49.87 meters (163 feet, 7 inches) for DSU. Hazlett hit her career best 44.09 meters (144 feet, 8 inches) to finish ninth. Lilly Young tossed 42 meters (137 feet, 9 inches), followed by McKenna McIlravy with a personal record 37.31 meters (122 feet, 5 inches).

Ella Carstensen led the Trojans with a 10.79 meters leap (35 feet, 4.75 inches) to finish third in the triple jump. M. Thornton was eighth with a season's best mark of 9.86 meters (32 feet, 4.25 inches).

Dakota State continues their action on the second day of the NSAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Friday. The first events are set for 10 a.m. (Mountain Time) with the field events (high jump and discus), followed by the running events at 12 p.m. (MT) with the 3000-meter steeplechase.