February 24, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – Sixteen Dakota State (S.D.) women's and men's indoor track & field athletes were named to the first-ever Frontier Conference All-Conference last weekend.  The Trojans competed in the inaugural two-day conference meet held at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D.

Both Dakota State women's and men's finished second in the team standings.  All events at the 2026 Frontier Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships are counted as conference meet records.  Athletes earning All-Conference recognition must be in the top three finishers in each event.

Eight DSU women's athletes earned All-Conference recognition, highlighted by Amelie Steins with All-Conference honors in four different events (400-meter dash champion, 60-meter hurdles, 4 x 400-meter relay, and pentathlon).

Wallis earned a pair of All-Conference honors in the 600-meter run and the 4 x 400-meter relay.  Anna Schneider and Molli Thornton also teamed up in the 4 x 400-meter relay as the All-Conference distinction.
Two other Trojans also had a pair of All-Conference awards with Valerija Curikova earning runner-up in both the 3000- and 5000-meter runs.  Oliviyah Thornton added two All-Conference honors in both throwing events – shot put and weight throw.

Bella Maxwell also earned All-Conference award in the weight throw, while Adow Thyab added an All-Conference honor in the high jump.

The men's squad also had eight athletes being named All-Conference awards.  Tysen Grinde shared the Frontier Conference Indoor Field Athletes-of-the-Meet with Ty Leischner of Dickinson State (N.D.), each scoring 23 points in the field events.

Grinde won the high jump title at the conference meet for the Trojans, as well as earning All-Conference honor in the heptathlon. 

Mohamed Muse (600-meter run) and Franklin Johns (800-meter run) each collected a pair of All-Conference accolades.  Both were members of the 4 x 800-meter relay team that earned All-Conference award along with Logan Recoy and Tyler Nicke.

Three Trojan throwers earned All-Conference in the weight throw – Zachary Haugen and Tarin Bingham – and in the shot put – Oliver Tordsen.

Dakota State heads to Gainesville, Fla., next weekend for the 2026 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships next weekend.  Stay tuned to dsuathletics.com on the official list of national qualifiers.