January 17, 2026

YANKTON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) produced a pair of national qualifying marks, a new school record, and personal records on the second day of the Mount Marty (S.D.) Invitational & Multis Saturday at Ruth Donohoe Fieldhouse. 

Oliviyah Thornton continued to throw NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying marks in both throwing events, highlighted by a new school record in the weight throw.  She won the weight throw title with a new school record 17.34 meters (56 feet, 10.75 inches), breaking her previous mark of 17.33 meters set at the South Dakota State Holiday Open last month.  Her weight throw is currently No. 7 in the NAIA after Saturday's meets.

Kiana Mounga tossed 14.62 meters (47 feet, 11.75 inches) to place seventh in the weight throw for the Trojans.  Other results included Lilly Young – 13.60 meters (44 feet, 7.50 inches), Bella Maxwell – 13.45 meters (44 feet, 1.5 inches), Aaliyah Bertelsen – 13.44 meters – personal record (44 feet, 1.25 inches), Alivia Bickett – 13.19 meters (43 feet, 3.25 inches), Emily Dvorak – 11.34 meters – personal record (37 feet, 2.5 inches), McKenna McIlravy – 11.24 meters (36 feet, 10.5 inches), and Hadley Hollenbeck – 9.40 meters (30 feet, 10.25 inches).

Thornton also captured the shot-put title after posting her career best 13.99 meters (45 feet, 10.75 inches), which is also the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark.  Her mark is the second-best mark in school history and No. 3 in the NAIA.  Maxwell was fifth with 11.52 meters (37 feet, 9.5 inches), followed by Hollenbeck with a personal record 11.09 meters throw (36 feet, 4.75 inches).

Other DSU shot-put results included Bickett – 10.53 meters (34 feet, 6.74 inches), Dvorak – 8.71 meters (28 feet, 7 inches) and Bertelsen – 8.60 meters (28 feet, 2.75 inches).

Madelyn Sylva clocked a career best time of 19 minutes, 30.05 seconds to earn a runner up in the 5000-meter run for the Trojans.

The Trojans' 4 x 800-meter relay team members of Anna Schneider, Valerija Curikova, Kierra Miller, and Lindsey Roth finished fourth with a time of 9:53.39.

Taneaja John clocked a time of 9.89 seconds to place sixth in the 60-meter hurdles prelims for DSU.  Alyssa Koffler registered a time of 11.13 seconds.  John finished eighth in the finals in 10.04 seconds.

Koffler recorded a season best 1.46 meters clearance (4 feet, 9.5 inches) to finish fifth in the high jump.  Natalie Stoks added a season best 4.78 meters (15 feet, 8.25 inches) to place seventh.

Molli Thornton clocked a time of 8.14 seconds to place fifth in the 60-meter dash prelims.  Averie Marshall added 8.20 seconds to finish eighth.  Bridget Bartling finished with a time of 8.32 seconds in the prelims. 

M. Thornton was seventh in the 60-meter dash finals in 8.15 seconds, followed by Marshall eighth in 8.31 seconds.

Brooke Beaucaire produced a career best time of 5:30.30 to finish sixth in the 1-mile run for Dakota State.

Bethany Lawson earned a season best time of 1:05.47 to place eighth in the 400-meter dash.  John added a personal record 1:07.51 in the race.

Miller was eighth in the 800-meter run after recording a time of 2 minutes, 31.48 seconds.

M. Thornton led the Trojans with a time of 27.52 seconds in the 200-meter dash, followed by Stoks in 28.19 seconds, Lawson in 28.35 seconds, Bartling in 28.78 seconds, and Koffler in 30.69 seconds.

Curikova wrapped up the meet with a third-place finish in the 3000-meter run for DSU, clocking a time of 10 minutes, 51.32 seconds.

A schedule change has been announced for Dakota State, where they added a meet on Friday at the Concordia (Neb.) Polar Dog Invitational.  DSU's original scheduled indoor track & field meet at South Dakota State on Jan. 29 has been canceled.