January 9, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – The Dakota State University women's and men's indoor track & field teams return to action after their Christmas break.  The Trojans compete in two different meets held at Mount Marty (S.D.) Saturday and next Friday and Saturday.  Both meets will be held at Ruth Donohoe Fieldhouse (1201 W 8^th Street) in Yankton, S.D.

Mount Marty (S.D.) Opener – Saturday, Jan. 10

• Four teams are slated to compete in the Mount Marty Opener Saturday, including Dakota State, host-team Mount Marty, Morningside (Iowa), and NCAA Division II University of Sioux Falls (S.D.).
• The first events are set for 11 a.m. with the weight throw and triple jump.  The next round of field events starts at 12 p.m. with the pole vault and high jump.  The final session of field events is scheduled for 3 p.m. with the shot put and long jump.
• The running events begin at 1 p.m. with the 5000-meter run, followed by 4 x 800-meter relay at 2 p.m.
• The final event of the meet is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. with the 4 x 400-meter relay.

Mount Marty (S.D.) Invitational and Multi-Events – Friday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 17

• Dakota State returns to Mount Marty at Ruth Donohoe Fieldhouse next weekend.Multi-events, including pentathlon and heptathlon, are added to this meet.
• The Trojans along with Briar Cliff (Iowa), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), Dordt (Iowa), host team Mount Marty, Northwestern (Iowa), and NCAA Division II Wayne State (Neb.) are scheduled to compete in the two-day meet.
• The first day of the two-day indoor track & field meet will focus on the multi-events in the pentathlon and heptathlon.  The pentathlon starts at 1 p.m. with 60-meter hurdles, followed by the heptathlon at 1:15 p.m. with the 60-meter dash.The pentathlon concludes at approximately 5:40 p.m. with the 800-meter run.
• The heptathlon will continue the second day next Saturday at 10 a.m. with the 60-meter hurdles, followed by the pole vault, and the 1000-meter run.
• The distance medley relay is scheduled to run on the first day of the two-day meet next Friday at 4:30 p.m.
• The full day of events is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, starting at 12 p.m. with the weight throw.  The running events are set for 1 p.m. with the 5000-meter run and wrap up at 6:55 p.m. with the 4 x 400-meter relay.

Muse earns Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Men's Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week

• Prior to Christmas break, Dakota State's Mohamed Muse was selected as the Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Men's Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week.He was the first Trojan to be named the Indoor Track Athlete-of-the-Week in the new conference (Frontier Conference).
• Muse was one of the anchors on the DSU's 4 x 800-meter relay team with Franklin Johns, Evan Armstrong, and Solomon Carter that won the title at the Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Snow Tiger Invitational on Dec. 13.  They finished with a time of 7 minutes, 53.86 seconds, converting the time to 7 minutes, 47.18 seconds, on the 200-meters course.The time is the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time and the fourth fastest time in the DSU men's indoor track & field school history.
• Muse also ran in the 400-meter dash, clocking a time of 50.71 seconds to win the title.
• He had qualified earlier this season in the 600-meter run with the NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying time of 1:20.15 at the South Dakota State Holiday Open on Dec. 5 in Brookings, S.D.

DSU women's won 11 titles at Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Snow Tiger Invitational

• Dakota State closed their 2025 calendar year by winning 11 event titles at the Dakota Wesleyan Snow Tiger Invitational at DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Center.  The Trojans won the team title after scoring 85 points, followed by the host team Dakota Wesleyan with 24 points.
• Oliviyah Thornton highlighted DSU with another NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying mark in the shot put, tossing, a career best 13.64 meters (44 feet, 9 inches) to win the title.Her toss is the fourth best toss in DSU women's indoor track & field school history.
• Thornton added the weight throw title for the Trojans, throwing 16.79 meters (55 feet, 1 inch).
• Amelie Steins broke a school record in the 60-meter dash.After running 7.88 seconds in the 60-meter dash, she improved to her career best time of 7.83 seconds to win the title.She broke the previous school record held by Josie Wolf with 7.84 seconds in 2019.
• Steins added the long jump title for Dakota State, leaping 5.33 meters (17 feet, 6 inches).
• Molli Thornton won the 200-meter dash in 27.20 seconds.  Anna Schneider captured the 400-meter title in 1:01.36.  Valerija Curikova won the 800-meters with her career best time of 2:31.47.  Lindsey Roth captured the 1000-meter run title in 3:16.41.Taneaja John hit her personal record time of 9.51 seconds to win the 60-meter hurdles title.
• Both DSU relay teams – 4 x 800-meter relay and 4 x 400-meter relay – won the title.Schneider, Kierra Miller, Presli White, and Roth clocked a time of 9:47.81, the third fastest in school history in the 4 x 800-meter relay.The 4 x 400-meter relay team (Natalie Stoks, Bridget Bartling, Averie Marshall, and John) won by the time of 4:27.57.

Trojan men's cruise to team title at DWU Snow Tiger Invitational meet

• Dakota State cruised to the team title after scoring 87 points at the DWU Snow Tiger Invitational on Dec. 13 in Mitchell.The Trojans defeated the host-team Dakota Wesleyan with 34 points.DSU won nine events titles in the meet, highlighted by the 4 x 800-meter relay team with the national qualifying time.
• Jagger Lombard captured the 60-meter dash title with a time of 6.94 seconds for the Trojans.  Mohamed Muse added the 400-meter dash title in 50.87 seconds.
• Tyler Nicke ran a time of 1:24.88 to win the 600-meter run for Dakota State.Solomon Carter won the 1000-meter run title in 2:35.76, while Lane Henrichs took the 1-mile run title in 4:32.64.
• Tysen Grinde won the 60-meter hurdles title with his career best time of 8.84 seconds.  Brock Krueger leaped his personal best mark of 13.59 meters (44 feet, 7 inches) to win the triple jump title.

2025-26 Dakota State University Trojan Indoor Track & Field Top Marks
 

Women's	Events	Men's
Amelie Steins – 7.83 seconds	60-meter dash	Lukas Bennett - 6.91 seconds
Molli Thornton – 27.20 seconds	200-meter dash	Lukas Bennett – 22.34 seconds
RayLee Wallis – 59.09 seconds	400-meter dash	Mohamed Muse – 50.87 seconds
Anna Schneider – 1:42.10	600-meter run	Mohamed Muse – 1:20.15
Valerija Curikova – 2:31.47	800-meter run	Franklin Johns – 1:57.78
Lindsey Roth – 3:16.41	1000-meter run	Solomon Carter – 2:35.76
Lindsey Roth – 5:22.88	1-mile run	Evan Armstrong - 4:21.36
Valerija Curikova - 10:30.44	3000-meter run	Lane Henrichs – 8:55.29
N/A	5000-meter run	N/A
Amelie Steins – 8.89 seconds	60-meter hurdles	Tysen Grinde – 8.84 seconds
Amelie Steins, Anna Schneider, Molli Thornton, RayLee Wallis – 3:58.50	4 x 400-meter relay	Solomon Carter, Evan Armstrong, Franklin Johns, Lukas Bennett – 3:22.08
Anna Schneider, Kierra Miller, Presli White, Lindsey Roth – 9:47.81	4 x 800-meter relay	Franklin Johns, Evan Armstrong, Solomon Carter, Mohamed Muse – 7:53.86
N/A	Distance Medley Relay	N/A
Alyssa Koffler – 1.45 meters	High Jump	Tysen Grinde - 1.95 meters
N/A	Pole Vault	Tysen Grinde – 4.25 meters
Amelie Steins – 5.44 meters	Long Jump	Tysen Grinde - 6.51 meters
Daynica Witzel – 9.70 meters	Triple Jump	Brock Krueger – 13.59 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 13.64 meters	Shot Put	Lukus Mentele – 15.13 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 17.33 meters	Weight Throw	Oliver Tordsen – 17.26 meters
N/A	Pentathlon/Heptathlon	N/A

 
 2026 Dakota State University NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Qualifiers list
 

Athlete	Event		NAIA Standard	Where/When Qualifying Mark Set
Oliviyah Thornton	Weight Throw	B Provisional		17.33 meters (56 feet, 10.25 inches) South Dakota State Holiday Open – Dec. 5, 2025
Mohamed Muse	600-meter run	B Provisional		1 minute, 20.15 seconds South Dakota State Holiday Open – Dec. 5, 2025
Oliviyah Thornton	Shot Put	B Provisional		13.64 meters (44 feet, 9 inches) DWU Snow Tiger Invitational – Dec. 13, 2025
Franklin Johns, Evan Armstrong, Solomon Carter, Mohamed Muse	4 x 800-meter relay	B Provisional		7 minutes, 47.18 seconds DWU Snow Tiger Invitational – Dec. 13, 2025