January 31, 2026

SEWARD, Neb. / MANKATO, Minn. – Oliviyah Thornton continued to dominate the throwing events as Dakota State (S.D.) competed on the second day of the Concordia (Neb.) Track & Field Classic Saturday.  Five runners were also in action on the second day of the Mark Schuch Multi's and Open on the same day at Myers Fieldhouse hosted by NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Mankato.

Thornton threw the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying mark after winning the weight throw title for the Trojans.  She also hit a new school record mark of 17.68 meters (58 feet, .25 inches), which is fifth best mark in the NAIA after Saturday's meet.  Kiana Mounga added 14.67 meters mark (48 feet, 1.75 inches) for an eighth-place finish.

Lilly Young posted a personal record 14.89 meters mark (48 feet, 10.25 inches) in the unseeded weight throw mark for DSU.  Bella Maxwell added 14.03 meters (46 feet, .5 inches), followed by Aaliyah Bertelsen with 13.25 meters mark (43 feet, 5.75 inches), Alivia Bicket with 12.73 meters (41 feet, 9.25 inches), and Emily Dvorak with a personal record 12.70 meters (41 feet, 8 inches).

Thornton also won the shot-put title with 13.97 meters mark (45 feet, 10 inches) for DSU.  Maxwell threw 12.68 meters (41 feet, 7.25 inches) to finish fifth.  Hadley Hollenbeck threw a personal best 11.63 meters (38 feet, 2 inches) to finish eighth in the unseeded shot-put event.  Bickett added 10.88 meters (35 feet, 8.5 inches), followed by Dvorak with 9.60 meters (31 feet, 6 inches), and Bertelsen with 8.05 meters (26 feet, 5 inches).

Adow Thyab cleared a personal record 1.51 meters (4 feet, 11.5 inches) to place eighth in the high jump.  Alyssa Koffler registered 1.41 meters mark clearance (4 feet, 7.5 inches).  She was also 11.05 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

Kierra Miller earned a runner up finish in the 800-meter run, clocking a time of 2 minutes, 29.56 seconds for DSU.  Madelyn Sylva clocked a career best time of 11:01.13 in the 3000-meter run, followed by Miller with a time of 11:23.80.

Molli Thornton leaped 10.29 meters (33 feet, 9.25 inches) in the triple jump for the Trojans.  She also ran a time of 1:01.32 in the 400-meter dash. 

Averie Marshall clocked a time of 8.22 seconds in 60-meter dash, followed by Bethany Lawson 8.36 seconds, and Natalie Stoks in 8.40 seconds.

Lawson added a time of 28.32 seconds in the 200-meter dash, while Marshall registered a time of 28.86 seconds.

Valerija Curikova led the Trojans in Mankato with a personal record 3000-meter run time of 10 minutes, 18.45 seconds to finish eighth.  Her time is the third fastest in the DSU women's indoor track & field school record book.  Brooke Beaucaire added a time of 10:37.39.

Curikova was also 10^th in the 1-mile run with a time of 5 minutes, 21.79 seconds.  Beaucaire registered at 5:23.99.

RayLee Wallis clocked a time of 59.32 seconds to place fourth in the 400-meter dash.  Anna Schneider recorded a time of 2:25.40 in the 800-meter run, while Lindsey Roth finished with a time of 3:09.12 in the 1000-meter run.

Dakota State heads to two different indoor track & field meets next Saturday.  The Trojans head to Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) Alumni meet in Mitchell, S.D., and Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational hosted by NCAA Division I Nebraska at Lincoln.