May 8, 2025

DICKINSON, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) wrapped up the North Star Athletic Association era Friday with school record points on the second day of the conference outdoor track & field meet.  The NSAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships is hosted by Dickinson State (N.D.) at Badlands Activity Center and Roger Huffman Field (at Biesiot Activities Center).

Dickinson State captured the NSAA Women's Outdoor Track & Field conference team title for the eighth straight year with a conference meet record of 340 points.  The Trojans finished second with a school record team points scored with 241 points (previous record was 200 points during the 2021 conference meet in Forest City, Iowa).  Valley City State (N.D.) finished third with 100 points, edging Jamestown (N.D.) by one point (99 points).  Bellevue (Neb.) was fifth with five points.

The second day of the conference meet kicked off with a pair of field events.  Ella Carstensen cleared the high jump of 1.51 meters (4 feet, 11.5 inches) to place eighth in the high jump for DSU.  Casey Olson posted her season best mark of 1.46 meters (4 feet, 9.5 inches) to place tenth.

Lilly Young led the Trojans with an eighth-place finish in the discus, throwing 37.34 meters (122 feet, 6 inches).  Gabreilla Peitzmeier added a tenth-place finish with 35.65 meters mark (116 feet, 11 inches).
The field events wrapped up with the shot put and the long jump.  Maxwell tossed 12.60 meters (41 feet, 4.25 inches) to finish fourth in the shot-put for DSU.

Molli Thornton highlighted Dakota State with a pair of first NSAA conference titles in two different events.  She became the first Trojan to win the North Star outdoor conference long jump title, leaping 5.34 meters (17 feet, 6.25 inches).  Amelie Steins added a fourth-place finish after jumping 5.24 meters (17 feet, 2.25 inches).  Olson tied her personal record of 4.95 meters (16 feet, 3 inches) for a seventh-place finish.

The running events began with the 3000-meter steeplechase, which was won by the Trojans for the second straight year.  Brooke Beaucaire won the title with a time of 11 minutes, 59.54 seconds.  Kierra Miller was second with a time of 12:00.44.

The team members of Bethany Lawson, Averie Marshall, Bridget Bartling, and Thornton earned the runner-up honor in the 4 x 100-meter relay in 49.10 seconds.

The next running event was the 1500-meter run, led by Lindsey Roth with a runner-up finish with a season best time of 4 minutes, 53.66 seconds.  Miller added a sixth-place finish in 5:33.43.

Dakota State scored a total of 25 points in the 100-meter dash finals, led by Thornton as she won the title with a season best 12.34 seconds.  She was the first Trojan to win the NSAA conference's outdoor 100-meter dash title.  Her time is tied for 10^th fastest time in DSU women's 100-meter dash school history (Tonya Olson – 2001).

Steins placed third by improving her personal record time of 12.51 seconds in the 100-meter dash.  Marshall was fifth with a personal best time of 12.79 seconds, followed by Lawson sixth in 12.97 seconds, and Bartling seventh with a personal record time of 13.06 seconds.

The NSAA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Champions of Character recipients were recognized after the completion of the 100-meter dash.  RayLee Wallis was the Trojan recipient to the award.

The action resumed with the 800-meter run.  Anna Schneider finished second with her season best time of 2 minutes, 22.39 seconds.  Caitlin Dyer registered a personal record 2:26.69 to place fifth, followed by Saddie Palmquist seventh with her career best time of 2:30.54.

Carstensen led DSU with a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 1 minute, 10.71 seconds.  Alyssa Koffler added a personal record of 1:15.19 to place eighth.

Thornton claimed a runner-up finish in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.68 seconds.  Steins added a career best time of 26.15 seconds to follow up with a third-place finish.  Wallis was fourth in 26.41 seconds, Marshall sixth in 27.02 seconds, Lawson seventh in 27.30 seconds, and Bartling ninth in 27.78 seconds.

Beaucaire was second in the 5000-meter run with a time of 19 minutes, 32.79 seconds.  Roth added a fourth-place finish with a personal record time of 20 minutes, .19 seconds.  Valerija Curikova was seventh in 20:21.42, followed by Madelyn Sylva ninth in 20:40.72. 

DSU closed the conference meet with a runner-up honor in the 4 x 400-meter relay.  The members of Thornton, Schneider, Dyer, and Wallis clocked a time of 4 minutes, .12 seconds in the race.

Dakota State waits to hear the official listing of the national qualifiers for the 2025 NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.  The multi-events qualifiers list will be announced on Monday, followed by a full list of qualifiers on Wednesday.

The three-day NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will be held at the Wildcat Stadium for the third straight year, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan in Marion, Ind., on May 21-23.