April 22, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – The Dakota State University outdoor track & field teams prepare for one of the busiest weeks of their 2026 outdoor season, competing in three different meets.  The Trojans kick off the week with the Mount Marty (S.D.) Twilight meet Wednesday in Yankton, S.D., at Williams Field (1105 West 8^th Street).

Dakota State will be sending selected athletes to the prestigious 116^th annual Drake Relays at Bulldog Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa (2719 Forest Ave.), starting on Thursday afternoon.  Numerous athletes will compete on Friday, with the meet wrapping up on Saturday.

The Trojans close out their week at the Drake Alternative meet in St. Peter, Minn., hosted by NCAA Division III Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) on Saturday at Gustie Soccer Field/Track Complex (800 W College Ave.). 

Drake Relays Preview

• Dakota State will be competing in 15 different events throughout the three-day meet, starting on Thursday afternoon with the 4 x 800-meter relay squads.
• DSU's competition will take place on Friday with numerous events.
• The week wraps up on Saturday, concluding four athletes in the javelin.  Daynica Witzel, Casey Olson, Tysen Grinde, and Xander Sheehan are set to compete in the javelin for Dakota State.
• The women's squad that will compete in the Drake Relays include Amelie Steins, Molli Thornton, Caitlin Dyer, RayLee Wallis, Oliviyah Thornton, Averie Marshall, Lindsey Roth, Valerija Curikova, Anna Schneider, Witzel, and Olson.
• DSU will be sending the following men's squad to the Drake Relays, including Jagger Lombard, Ben Witt, Aaron Van Hemert, Lukas Bennett, Franklin Johns, Tyler Nicke, Brock Krueger, Grinde, Sheehan, Mohamed Muse, Oliver Tordsen, Cody Farland and Logan Recoy.

O. Thornton collects second Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week

• Oliviyah Thornton was selected by the Frontier Conference for the second time this season as the Women's Outdoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week.
• She threw three national qualifying marks at the Red Raider Open in Orange City, Iowa, on April 16-17, including a pair of personal record marks.
• Thornton improved her personal record and school record shot put mark with 'A' automatic mark of 14.68 meters (48 feet, 2 inches), winning 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, which is the second-best throw in school history.
• Thornton produced another NAIA 'B' mark of 53.09 meters (174 feet, 2 inches) in the hammer throw, where is currently ranked No. 4 in the NAIA with 'A' automatic mark of 56.04 meters (183 feet, 10 inches) earlier this season at the Steinborn/Beacom Twilight meet.

Dakota State excels at Frontier Conference Multi-Events Championships

• Dakota State had seven athletes competed at the 2026 Frontier Conference Multi-Events Championships, held at Biesiot Activities Center in Dickinson, N.D., on April 19-20.
• Amelie Steins highlighted the Trojans by winning the heptathlon title with a new school record of 4,796 points, breaking the previous school record of 4,376 points set by herself in 2025.
• Casey Olson also produced a career best with 4,505 points to place fourth in the heptathlon.  Her mark is the second most in DSU school history.
• Both Steins and Olson registered the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying standards in the heptathlon.
• Dayncia Witzel finished with a total of 3,2093 points in her heptathlon debut at DSU.
• Dakota State leads the Frontier Conference team standings with 15 points, where the two-day conference meet will return to Biesiot Activities Center on May 2-3.
• Tysen Grinde finished third in the men's decathlon after scoring his personal record 6,667 points for the Trojans.His mark is the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying and currently ranks No. 7 in the NAIA.
• Grinde's decathlon score is the third most points scored in school history.
• Talon George finished with 5,367 points, followed by Miles Eide with 4,832 points.It was their first decathlon event at Dakota State.George produced the 10^th most decathlon points in school history.
• Bergen Irey finished with a personal record of 4,821 points for the Trojans.
• Dakota State is third with six points in the 2026 Frontier Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field team standings.

2026 Dakota State University Trojan Outdoor Track & Field Top Marks
 

Women's	Events	Men's
RayLee Wallis – 12.52 seconds	100-meter dash	Jagger Lombard – 10.65 seconds
Molli Thornton – 26.01 seconds	200-meter dash	Lukas Bennett – 21.91 seconds
Amelie Stiens – 57.92 seconds	400-meter dash	Franklin Johns – 49.67 seconds
Anna Schneider – 2:20.33	800-meter run	Cody Farland – 1:54.31
Valerija Curikova – 4:52.65	1500-meter run	Tyler Nicke – 4:18.99
Valerija Curikova – 18:04.92	5000-meter run	Joshua Tucker – 15:51.73
Brooke Beaucaire – 38:16.45	10,000-meter run	N/A
Amelie Steins - 14.46 seconds	100-/110-meter hurdles	Bergen Irey – 17.53 seconds
Taneaja John – 1:16.37	400-meter hurdles	Franklin Johns – 1:00.02
Brooke Beaucaire – 11:51.55	3000-meter steeplechase	Blake Schmiedt – 10:47.99
Averie Marshall, RayLee Wallis, Molli Thornton, Amelie Steins – 48.71 seconds	4 x 100-meter relay	James Burke, Jagger Lombard, Talon George, Lukas Bennett – 42.57 seconds
Amelie Steins, Anna Schneider, Molli Thornton, RayLee Wallis – 3:56.23	4 x 400-meter relay	Lukas Bennett, Franklin Johns, Ben Witt, Weston Frangenberg – 3:26.27
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 – 1.58 meters	High Jump	Brock Krueger – 1.86 meters
N/A	Pole Vault	Tysen Grinde – 4.47 meters
Amelie Steins – 5.78 meters	Long Jump	Trevor Heinz – 6.90 meters
Ella Carstensen – 10.92 meters	Triple Jump	Brock Krueger – 13.40 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 14.68 meters	Shot Put	Oliver Tordsen – 15.80 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 45.22 meters	Discus	Oliver Tordsen – 55.33 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 56.04 meters	Hammer Throw	Zachary Haugen – 57.78 meters
Daynica Witzel – 42.20 meters	Javelin	Miles Eide – 49.78 meters
Amelie Steins – 4,796 points	Heptathlon/Decathlon	Tysen Grinde – 6,667 points

 
 2026 Dakota State University NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Qualifiers list
 

Athlete	Event	NAIA Standard	Where/When Qualifying Mark Set
Amelie Steins	Long Jump	B Provisional	5.78 meters (18 feet, 11.75 inches) Central Methodist (Mo.) Open – March 21
Oliviyah Thornton	Shot Put	A Automatic	14.68 meters (48 feet, 2 inches) Red Raider Open – April 16-17
Oliver Tordsen	Discus	A Automatic	55.33 meters (181 feet, 6 inches) USD Snooze Button Classic – April 8
Zachary Haugen	Hammer Throw	B Provisional	57.78 meters (189 feet, 7 inches) Wayne State (Neb.) Wildcat Classic – March 27
Oliviyah Thornton	Hammer Throw	A Automatic	56.04 meters (183 feet, 10 inches) Steinborn/Beacom Twilight Meet – March 30
Daynica Witzel	Javelin Throw	B Provisional	42.20 meters (138 feet, 5 inches) Steinborn/Beacom Twilight Meet – March 30
Bella Maxwell	Shot Put	B Provisional	13.88 meters (45 feet, 6.5 inches) Sioux City Relays – April 10
Bella Maxwell	Hammer Throw	B Provisional	52.93 meters (173 feet, 8 inches) Sioux City Relays – April 10
Tysen Grinde	Decathlon	A Automatic	6,667 points Frontier Conference Multi-Events Championships – April 19-20
Amelie Steins	Heptathlon	A Automatic	4,796 points Frontier Conference Multi-Events Championships – April 19-20
Casey Olson	Heptathlon	A Automatic	4,505 points Frontier Conference Multi-Events Championships – April 19-20