March 20, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – The Dakota State University outdoor track & field teams make their 2026 season debut Friday afternoon as they head to Davis Field – William L. Hariston Track (411 Central Methodist Square) in Fayette, Mo.  The outdoor track & field meet is being held on the campus of Central Methodist (Mo.).  The field events start at 10 a.m., followed by the running events at 12 p.m.

Season Overview & Meets

• Dakota State prepares for a busy outdoor track & field schedule as they compete on eight consecutive weekends of track & field meets.
• After going to Fayette on Saturday, the Trojans travel to Wayne, Neb., next weekend for the two-day Wildcat Classic hosted by NCAA Division II Wayne State (Neb.).
• Dakota State continues their two-day track & field meets as they head to Vermillion, S.D., on Easter weekend on April 3-4, for the NCAA Division I South Dakota Early Bird.
• The Trojans return to Sioux City, Iowa, for the two-day Sioux City Relays, one of the longest track & field meets running in the Midwest region.
• DSU stays in the state of Iowa as they journey to Orange City, Iowa, for the two-day Red Raider Open, hosted by Northwestern (Iowa) on April 17-18.
• Dickinson State (N.D.) will host the Frontier Conference Outdoor Track & Field Multi-Events Championships on April 18-19.  DiSU will also host the two-day conference meet on May 2-3 at Biesiot Activities Center.
• DSU will be in various meets during the week of April 20-24, starting on April 22 at the Mount Marty (S.D.) Twilight meet.  The Trojans will take selected athletes to the prestigious outdoor track & field meet, the Drake Relays at Bulldog Stadium on April 23-25.  DSU will also participate in the Viking Classic on April 24, hosted by Grand View (Iowa).
• After the conference meet, Dakota State will host their home meet, the Trojan Last Chance on May 6 at Dan Beacom Track & Field.  The Trojans close their regular season schedule at the University of South Dakota Twilight meet on May 8 in Vermillion.
• The 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will be held at Karl Straus Track in Asheville, N.C., on May 20-22.

2026 DSU Indoor Track & Field NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships Recap

• Tysen Grinde collected two NAIA All-America medals at the 2026 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships held in Gainesville, Fla.After competing in several events of the heptathlon on the first day, he competed in the high jump where he finished in a three-way tie for fifth place with 1.99 meters mark (6 feet, 6.25 inches).
• Grinde racked up a career best 5,181 points where he finished sixth overall after the second day of heptathlon action. It was the fifth straight year that a Trojan men's athlete earned All-America status in the heptathlon at the national meet. Grinde's heptathlon points are the second most in DSU men's indoor track & field school history.
• Solomon Carter, Franklin Johns, Mohamed Muse, and Tyler Nicke ran in the second heat of the 4 x 800-meter relay finished with a season best time of 7 minutes, 41.12 seconds and placed third in the second heat. The Trojans fell short of qualifying for the finals where they placed 10^th out of 21 teams, producing the third fastest time in the DSU men's indoor track & field school record book.
• Oliver Tordsen, Tarin Bingham, and Zachary Haugen competed in the weight throw on the second day at the national meet for the Trojans. ordsen also threw shot put on the final day of the national meet.
• Amelie Steins made history as the first DSU women's pentathlon All-America athlete in school history. She established a new career and school record of 3,478 points to place seventh overall.
• Steins also competed in the long jump at the NAIA national meet, leaping 5.35 meters (17 feet, 6.75 inches).
• Oliviyah Thornton also became the first Trojan women's indoor weight thrower to collect an NAIA All-America after earning a runner-up finish with 18.58-meter toss (60 feet, 11.5 inches) on her second attempt. She also produced a new school record.
• Bella Maxwell also competed in the weight throw for the Trojans with 16.69 meters too (54 feet, 9.25 inches).
• Thornton and Maxwell competed in the shot put on the field day of the national meet. Thornton advanced to the final round where she finished ninth with 13.41 meters mark (44 feet), falling one place shy for NAIA All-America.
• Valerija Curikova ran in the 3000-meter run and placed 18^th overall with a time of 10 minutes, 29.80 seconds.

2026 Dakota State University Trojan Outdoor Track & Field Top Returning Marks
 

Women's	Events	Men's
Molli Thornton - 12.34 seconds	100-meter dash	Lukas Bennett - 10.66 seconds
RayLee Wallis - 25.33 seconds	200-meter dash	Lukas Bennett - 21.46 seconds
RayLee Wallis - 58.06 seconds	400-meter dash	Lukas Bennett - 48.95 seconds
Anna Schneider - 2:22.84	800-meter run	Nolan Slominski - 1:52.06
Lindsey Roth - 4:53.66	1500-meter run	Evan Armstrong - 4:02.80
Brooke Beaucaire - 18:36.86	5000-meter run	Lane Henrichs – 15:40.09
Brooke Beaucaire - 38:37.05	10,000-meter run	Joshua Tucker – 33:50.97
Amelie Steins - 14.68 seconds	100-/110-meter hurdles	Aaron Van Hemert – 15.61 seconds
Ella Carstensen - 1:10.65	400-meter hurdles	Aaron Van Hemert – 56.69 seconds
Brooke Beaucaire - 11:56.53	3000-meter steeplechase	Lane Henrichs - 9:48.40
N/A	4 x 100-meter relay	N/A
N/A	4 x 400-meter relay	N/A
N/A	4 x 800-meter relay	N/A
N/A	Sprint Medley Relay	N/A
N/A	Distance Medley Relay	N/A
Amelie Steins, Ella Carstensen - 1.51 meters	High Jump	Tysen Grinde - 1.98 meters
N/A	Pole Vault	Tysen Grinde – 3.90 meters
Molli Thornton - 5.39 meters	Long Jump	Tysen Grinde – 6.62 meters
Ella Carstensen - 10.79 meters	Triple Jump	Brock Krueger - 12.67 meters
Bella Maxwell - 13.08 meters	Shot Put	Trenton Moran - 14.82 meters
Oliviyah Thornton - 40.82 meters	Discus	Luke Borowicz - 44.13 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 50.77 meters	Hammer Throw	Lukus Mentele – 50.88 meters
Casey Olson - 41.27 meters	Javelin	Xander Sheehan - 53.81 meters
Amelie Steins - 4,375 points	Heptathlon/Decathlon	Tysen Grinde – 6,556 points