July 25, 2025

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Sixteen individual athletes (seven men's athletes and nine women's athletes), along with both Dakota State men's and women's track & field teams received academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  The academic lists from all collegiate levels were announced earlier this week on Monday.

Awarded to all nominated student athletes who meet all the following criteria:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Athletic criteria for the award can be met in either the indoor season, the outdoor season, or both; athletes needing to achieve an 'A' or 'B' standard in a championship event.
• Must have completed at least two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters at the certifying institution.

The following Trojan student athletes that earned the 2025 USTFCCCA Academic awards are (name – year – hometown – major – national track & field events competed/qualifying mark):

• Evan Armstrong – sophomore – Aurora, Colo. – cyber operations – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in both NAIA indoor and outdoor national meets (NAIA Indoor Track & Field All-America)
• Tysen Grinde – sophomore – Spring Grove, Minn. – computer science – competed in the multi-events in both NAIA indoor and outdoor national meets (NAIA Outdoor Track & Field All-America decathlon)
• Zachary Haugen – senior – Bath, S.D.- physical education – met NAIA Outdoor Track & Field 'B' qualifying standard in hammer throw
• Franklin Johns – sophomore – Gordon, Neb. – physical education – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in NAIA indoor national meet (NAIA Indoor Track & Field All-America)
• Curtis Johnson – junior – Indianola, Iowa – cyber operations – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in both NAIA indoor and outdoor national meets (NAIA Indoor Track & Field All-America)
• Kierra Miller – sophomore – Hemingford, Neb. – integrated biology – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay at the NAIA indoor national meet
• Mohamed Muse – freshman – Sioux Falls, S.D. – cyber operations – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in NAIA outdoor national meet
• Casey Olson – senior – Fergus Fals, Minn. – professional accountancy – competed in the javelin in the NAIA outdoor national meet (NAIA Outdoor Track & Field All-America)
• Gabriella Peitzmeier – senior – Omaha, Neb. – elementary education – competed in the hammer throw in the NAIA outdoor national meet
• Lindsey Roth – junior – Parkston, S.D. – elementary education – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in the NAIA outdoor national meet
• Anna Schneider – sophomore – Sioux Falls, S.D. – professional accountancy – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in the NAIA outdoor national meet
• Nolan Slominski – sophomore – Blair, Neb. – cyber operations – competed in the 4 x 800-meter relay in both NAIA indoor and outdoor national meet (NAIA Indoor Track & Field All-America); also ran in the 800-meter run at the NAIA indoor national meet
• Amelie Steins – sophomore – Dusseldorf, Germany – integrated biology – competed in the NAIA outdoor national meet in heptathlon
• Oliviyah Thornton – junior – Garretson, S.D. – cyber leadership and intelligence – met NAIA Indoor Track & Field 'B' qualifying standard in weight throw
• RayLee Wallis – senior – Roseville, Minn. – cyber operations – competed in the 400-meter dash in the NAIA indoor national meet
• Presli White – sophomore – Sioux Falls, S.D. – exercise science – competed in 4 x 800-meter relay team in the NAIA indoor national meet

Both Dakota State men's and women's track & field squads were awarded as the All-Academic Team honor by the USTFCCCA.  They met the criteria of the cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution's eligibility certificate for indoor and/or outdoor track and field must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

The Trojan women's track and field team posted a grade point average of 3.68, while the men's team produced a team GPA of 3.31.