March 21, 2026

FAYETTE, Mo. – Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their 2026 outdoor track & field season with four new women's school records in the Central Methodist (Mo.) Open at Davis Field – William L. Hariston Field.  The Trojans also won four event titles in the meet and produced a pair of NAIA 'B' provisional qualifying marks.

Oliviyah Thornton highlighted the meet by winning three different throwing titles for Dakota State.  She captured the shot-put title with a new school record 14.09 meters mark (46 feet, 2.75 inches).  Her mark is also the national qualifying mark, which is currently second-best mark in the NAIA after Saturday's meet.  She broke the previous school record mark of 13.80 meters (45 feet, 3.5 inches) set by Traia Hubbard in 2021.

Casey Olson added a mark of 11.98 meters (39 feet, 3.75 inches) to place third in the shot-put.  Alivia Bickett also threw 11.16 meters (36 feet, 7.5 inches) to finish seventh.

Thornton won the discus title after tossing a career best 42.77 meters (140 feet, 4 inches).  Her mark is the fourth best in the DSU women's outdoor track & field school record book.

Thornton added her third title of the day, winning the hammer throw event for Dakota State.  She tossed 50.32 meters (165 feet, 1 inch), which is also fourth best in the school record book.  Bickett added a third-place finish in the hammer throw after tossing 43 meters (141 feet, 1 inch).

Olson was second in the javelin with 39.24 meters mark (128 feet, 9 inches).  Daynica Witzel followed up with a fifth-place finish with 35.95 meters (118 feet), and Bridget Bartling with 35.25 meters mark (115 feet, 8 inches).

Amelie Steins broke a pair of new DSU school records, highlighted in the long jump.  She hit the national qualifying mark of 5.78 meters (18 feet, 11.75 inches), breaking the previous school record of 5.62 meters (18 feet, 5 inches) set by Jayna Goodroad in 2007.  Steins' long jump mark is currently third best in the NAIA. 

Witzel added a third-place finish in the long jump, leaping a personal best 5.25 meters (17 feet, 2.75 inches).  She cracked into the DSU's Top 10 long jump school record book. 

Molli Thornton registered a triple jump mark of 9.90 meters (32 feet, 5.75 inches) for the Trojans.

Steins established a new school record in the 100-meter hurdles, registering a time of 14.46 seconds to place second.  She broke the previous school record of 14.65 seconds set by Fane Sauvakacolo in 2023.

M. Thornton clocked a time of 12.71 seconds in the 100-meter dash for DSU.  Bartling clocked a time of 28.12 seconds in the 200-meter dash, followed by Olson with a personal best time of 28.19 seconds.

RayLee Wallis captured the 400-meter dash title after recording a time of 58.61 seconds.

Anna Schneider finished eighth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:21.96.  Valerija Curikova followed up with a career best time of 2:24.76, Lindsey Roth in 2:28.71, and Brooke Beaucaire in 2:34.44.

Curikova led the Trojans with a third-place finish in the 1500-meters with a time of 4:52.65.  Roth added a fifth-place finish in 4:55.32, while Beaucaire finished seventh with a career best time of 5:00.35.

DSU closed the meet with a new school record in the 4 x 400-meter relay.  The team of Steins, Schneider, M. Thornton, and Wallis clocked a time of 3:56.23, earning a runner-up finish.  That same relay team improved the school record from last year in 3:57.27.

Dakota State continues their outdoor track & field action next weekend as they compete in the two-day Wildcat Classic, hosted by NCAA Division II Wayne State (Neb.).