May 3, 2026

DICKINSON, N.D. – History has made for Dakota State women's outdoor track & field Sunday afternoon at the 2026 Frontier Conference Championships at Biesiot Activities Center, the two-day conference meet hosted by Dickinson State (N.D.).  The Trojans, despite falling behind early in the day, finished the conference meet strong by winning their inaugural Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field conference title.
 
It was nearly thirty (30) years ago when the Trojan women's track & field team won the outdoor team title, which was the 1997 South Dakota-Iowa Conference (SDIC).  Dakota State finished with 167 points, followed by Dickinson State (N.D.) second with 153.5 points.  The Trojans also ended the Blue Hawks streak of eight consecutive conference titles.
 
The Trojans kicked off the morning session in the triple jump with Ella Carstensen placing ninth with a leap of 11.06 meters (36 feet, 3.5 inches).  Molli Thornton added 10.48 meters (34 feet, 4.75 inches). 
 
Casey Olson produced a personal record 1.62 meters (5 feet, 3.75 inches) clearance to place second in the high jump for DSU.  Adow Thyab was fourth after clearing the height of 1.57 meters (5 feet, 1.75 inches).  Alyssa Koffler cleared the height of 1.52 meters (4 feet, 11.75 inches).  Carstensen tied her season best 1.47 meters (4 feet, 9.75 inches).
 
Oliviyah Thornton was third in the discus after tossing 42.42 meters (139 feet, 2 inches).  Lilly Young recorded 33.88 meters toss (111 feet, 2 inches), followed by Hadley Hollenbeck with 33.47 meters (109 feet, 9 inches).  Bella Maxwell threw 31.31 meters (102 feet, 8 inches) and Emily Dvorak with 27.13 meters (89 feet) toss.
 
O. Thornton also placed third in the shot-put with 14.39 meters mark (47 feet, 2.5 inches) for Dakota State.  Maxwell threw 13.43 meters (44 feet, .75 inches) to place sixth, followed by Hollenbeck with a season best 11.36 meters toss (37 feet, 3.25 inches).  Alivia Bickett recorded 10.79 meters toss (35 feet, 4.75 inches).
 
Lindsey Roth started the running event in the 1500-meter run, clocking a time of 5 minutes, .98 seconds to finish eighth in the 1500-meter run.  Valerija Curikova finished with a time of 5:12.34.
 
Averie Marshall, Bethany Lawson, Bridget Bartling, and M. Thornton teamed up to a third-place finish in the 4 x 100-meter relay.  They finished with a time of 49.17 seconds.
 
Dakota State gradually overtook the team lead, thanks to a pair of top two place finishers in the 3000-meter steeplechase.  Brooke Beaucaire won the title with a time of 11:56.52, followed by Kierra Miller with a second-place finish in 11:58.23. 
 
Amelie Steins won the 100-meter hurdles title after clocking a time of 13.91 seconds for the Trojans.  She then earned a runner-up finish in the 100-meter dash final with a time of 11.99 seconds.  M. Thornton clocked a time of 12.13 seconds in the 100-meters.
 
Caitlin Dyer was second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 16.81 seconds for the Trojans.  Anna Schneider was eighth in 2:24.38.  Roth added a time of 2:29.59, followed by Miller in 2:42.50.
 
Steins was second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.34 seconds for DSU.  RayLee Wallis was eighth in 25.75 seconds, followed by M. Thornton ninth in 25.90 seconds.  Lawson finished with a time of 27.13 seconds and Marshall in 27.43 seconds.
 
Dakota State secured the team title after the 5000-meter run, highlighted by Curikova with a third-place finish in 18 minutes, 57.34 seconds.  Beaucaire added a time of 19:41.48, followed by Madelyn Sylva in 19:44.04. 
 
The Trojans closed the conference meet with an eighth-place finish in the 4 x 400-meter relay with a time of 4:22.22.  The relay members included Bartling, Lawson, Marshall, and Wallis.
 
Steins collected a pair of postseason awards, earning the conference as the Track Athlete-of-the-Meet (scored the most points in the running events).  She was also voted as the league's Most Valuable Athlete.
 
Alex Glover was selected as the conference women's outdoor track & field Coach-of-the-Year after guiding the Trojans to their first Frontier Conference track & field title.
 
Dakota State heads to their final week of regular-season action.  The Trojans will have their last opportunities to qualify for the NAIA nationals in a pair of meets, starting Wednesday afternoon in the Buzz Stevenson Last Chance at Dan Beacom Track & Field.  The first events are set for 2 p.m.
 

	Amelie Steins 2026 Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track Athlete-of-the-Meet 2026 Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Most Valuable Athlete
	Alex Glover   2026 Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year