April 21, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – Oliviyah Thornton of Dakota State (S.D.) earned her second 2026 Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week, the fifth edition of the weekly honors were announced Tuesday by the conference office.

Thornton continues to throw NAIA qualifying marks, producing two personal records in the Northwestern (Iowa) Red Raider Open on April 16-17 in Orange City, Iowa.  She threw all three NAIA national qualifying standards in the meet. 

Thornton improved her personal record and school record shot put mark with an 'A' automatic mark of 14.68 meters (48 feet, 2 inches), where she won the title. Her shot-put mark ranks third in the NAIA.

She added the NAIA 'B' standard mark and career best 45.22 meters (148 feet, 4 inches) in the discus. Her discus is the second best in the school record book and ranks No. 15 in the NAIA.

Thornton added the NAIA 'B' mark of 53.09 meters (174 feet, 2 inches) to finish fourth in the hammer throw event.  She is currently ranked No. 4 in the NAIA in hammer throw with her NAIA 'A' automatic mark of 56.04 meters (183 feet, 10 inches) earlier this season at the Steinborn/Beacom Twilight meet.

Oliviyah, a native of Garretson, S.D., is a junior cyber leadership and intelligence major at Dakota State University.

Dakota State is preparing for a busy schedule this week with three different meets.  The Trojans kick off Wednesday morning at the Mount Marty (S.D.) Twilight meet, starting at 11 a.m. with the throwing events.

DSU will also compete in the Drake Relays Thursday through Saturday at Bulldog Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.  Thornton is scheduled to compete in the shot put and hammer throw in the meet.  More information to come when it becomes available. 

Dakota State is scheduled to compete in the Viking Classic Friday in Des Moines.