May 7, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – The Dakota State University outdoor track & field teams close out their regular-season schedule with two different meets on Friday afternoon.  This will be their final opportunity to make their national qualifying marks for the upcoming 2026 NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships on May 20-22 at Karl Straus Track in Asheville, N.C.

Most of the team is heading to NCAA Division I University of South Dakota Twilight meet at Lillibridge Track Complex (Taylor Street and N University Street) in Vermillion, S.D.  The first events are scheduled for 3 p.m. with the throwing events.  The running events are set to kick off at 4 p.m. with the 4 x 100-meter relay and wrap up with the final running event at 7:50 p.m. with the 1500-meter run.

The Trojans are slated to take their long-distance runners to the Concordia (Neb.) Twilight meet on Friday evening at Bulldog Stadium (800 N Columbia Ave.) in Seward, Neb.  The 4 x 800-meter relay starts at 5 p.m.

The national qualifiers for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will be announced next week.  Stay tuned to the dsuathletics.com for the official list of national qualifiers.

Dakota State wins Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship

• History has been made for Dakota State women's outdoor track & field team as they captured their first conference team title since 1997.
• The Trojans won their first-ever Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championship, scoring 167 points in the meet.
• Alex Glover was voted as the Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach-of-the-Year after guiding the Trojans to their conference team title, snapping Dickinson State's (N.D.) streak of eight consecutive conference team titles in the former North Star Athletic Association.
• Amelie Steins highlighted DSU with five All-Conference honors, earning the Frontier Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Most Valuable Athlete.
• Steins also earned the league outdoor Track Athlete-of-the-Meet after scoring a total of 31 points in the running events for the Trojans.
• Steins broke the Frontier Conference meet record after winning the 100-meter hurdles in 13.91 seconds.  It is also her school record at Dakota State.
• A total of 14 women's athletes earned All-Conference honors in 15 different events in the conference meet.
• Brooke Beaucaire won the 3000-meter steeplechase in 11 minutes, 56.52 seconds.

Trojans finish fourth in Frontier Conference Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship

• The Trojan men's squad finished fourth at the 2026 Frontier Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship, held at Biesiot Activities Center in Dickinson, N.D., on May 2-3.They scored 124 points in the team standings.
• Dakota State won four event titles at the conference meet, highlighted by Tysen Grinde in the high jump, Oliver Tordsen in the discus, Dylan Johansen in the shot put, and Franklin Johns in the 800-meter run.
• Grinde set the conference meet record in the high jump, clearing the height of 2.01 meters (6 feet, 7 inches).Johns also established the Frontier Conference meet time of 1 minute, 53.77 seconds in the 800-meter run.
• A total of 15 men's athletes produced All-Conference award in 10 different events at the Frontier Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

2026 Dakota State University Trojan Outdoor Track & Field Top Marks
 

Women's	Events	Men's
Averie Marshall – 11.94 seconds	100-meter dash	Lukas Bennett – 10.23 seconds
Amelie Steins – 25.00 seconds	200-meter dash	Lukas Bennett – 21.60 seconds
Amelie Stiens – 57.92 seconds	400-meter dash	Franklin Johns – 49.67 seconds
Caitlin Dyer – 2:15.47	800-meter run	Franklin Johns – 1:53.77
Valerija Curikova – 4:52.65	1500-meter run	Blake Schmiedt – 4:18.86
Valerija Curikova – 18:03.21	5000-meter run	Joshua Tucker – 15:46.22
Brooke Beaucaire – 38:16.45	10,000-meter run	Joshua Tucker – 35:32.22
Amelie Steins - 13.91 seconds	100-/110-meter hurdles	Tysen Grinde – 15.61 seconds
Ella Carstensen – 1:08.34	400-meter hurdles	Franklin Johns – 1:00.02
Brooke Beaucaire – 11:44.66	3000-meter steeplechase	Blake Schmiedt – 10:33.74
Averie Marshall, RayLee Wallis, Molli Thornton, Amelie Steins – 48.71 seconds	4 x 100-meter relay	James Burke, Jagger Lombard, Talon George, Lukas Bennett – 41.60 seconds
N/A	4 x 200-meter relay	Jagger Lombard, Lukas Bennett, Ben Witt, Franklin Johns – 1:33.82
Amelie Steins, Molli Thornton, Caitlin Dyer, RayLee Wallis – 3:51.75	4 x 400-meter relay	Jagger Lombard, Lukas Bennett, Ben Witt, Franklin Johns – 3:22.28
Lindsey Roth, Valerija Curikova, Caitlin Dyer, Anna Schneider – 9:29.76	4 x 800-meter relay	Franklin Johns, Cody Farland, Logan Recoy, Tyler Nicke – 7:45.95
Casey Olson – 1.62 meters	High Jump	Tysen Grinde – 2.02 meters
N/A	Pole Vault	Tysen Grinde – 4.47 meters
Amelie Steins – 5.78 meters	Long Jump	Trevor Heinz – 6.90 meters
Ella Carstensen – 11.06 meters	Triple Jump	Brock Krueger – 14.30 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 14.68 meters	Shot Put	Dylan Johansen – 15.99 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 45.22 meters	Discus	Oliver Tordsen – 55.33 meters
Oliviyah Thornton – 56.04 meters	Hammer Throw	Zachary Haugen – 58.45 meters
Daynica Witzel – 42.23 meters	Javelin	Miles Eide – 51.91 meters
Amelie Steins – 4,796 points	Heptathlon/Decathlon	Tysen Grinde – 6,667 points

 
 2026 Dakota State University NAIA Outdoor 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	58.45 meters (191 feet, 9 inches) Frontier Conference Championships – May 2-3
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	42.23 meters (138 feet, 6 inches) Mount Marty (S.D.) Twilight – April 22
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	53.30 meters (174 feet, 10 inches) Frontier Conference Championships – May 2-3
Oliviyah Thornton	Discus	B Provisional	45.22 meters (148 feet, 4 inches) Red Raider Open – April 16-17
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
Amelie Steins, Molli Thornton, Caitlin Dyer, RayLee Wallis	4 x 400-meter relay	B Provisional	3 minutes, 51.75 seconds Drake Relays—April 23-25
Amelie Steins	100-meter hurdles	B Provisional	14.08 seconds Frontier Conference Championships – May 2-3