May 8, 2026

VERMILLION, S.D. and SEWARD, Neb. – Dakota State (S.D.) added the men's 4 x 800-meter relay team to their national qualifying list Friday, producing the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying time in the Concordia (Neb.) Twilight meet.  The Trojans also competed in the NCAA Division I University of South Dakota Twilight meet at Lillibridge Complex in the regular-season finale.

USD Twilight

Zachary Haugen was second in the hammer throw with 56.89 meters mark (186 feet, 7 inches).  Tarin Bingham was fifth after tossing 50.24 meters (164 feet, 10 inches), followed by Lukus Mentele sixth with 49.28 meters (161 feet, 8 inches), and Luke Borowicz seventh with 46.64 meters (153 feet). 

Dylan Johansen led DSU with a third-place finish in the shot-put, tossing 15.66 meters (51 feet, 4.5 inches).  Oliver Tordsen followed with fourth place with 15.51 meters mark (50 feet, 10.5 inches).  Trenton Moran added sixth with 15.24 meters (50 feet).  Mentele registered 14.17 meters mark (46 feet, 6 inches).

Tordsen earned a runner-up honor in the discus, throwing 52.07 meters (170 feet, 10 inches) for DSU.  Mentele added 43.41 meters (142 feet, 5 inches) and Keegan Hensley 40.73 meters (133 feet, 7 inches).

Trevor Heinz finished fourth in the long jump, leaping 6.71 meters (22 feet, .25 inches) for the Trojans.  Tanner Drietz added 6.41 meters (21 feet, .5 inches) to place sixth.  Daniel Agyeman jumped 5.68 meters (18 feet, 7.75 inches).

Brock Krueger posted a mark of 13.69 meters (44 feet, 11 inches) to finish third in the triple jump.  Heinz followed with 13.15 meters (43 feet, 1.75 inches) to place fourth, and Drietz 12.87 meters (42 feet, 2.75 inches) to finish fifth.

Krueger earned his personal record 1.93 meters clearance (6 feet, 4 inches) in the high jump.  Dawson Miller and Bergen Irey both cleared the height of 1.83 meters (6 feet).

Javon Newkirk ran a time of 11.96 seconds in the 100-meter dash for the Trojans. 

Ben Witt clocked a time of 50.65 seconds in the 400-meter dash, followed by Jagger Lombard with a time of 50.89 seconds. 

Miller ran a time of 2:00.65 to finish fifth in the 800-meter run.  Grayson Madsen added a time of 2:04.90, followed by Evan Armstrong in 2:05.39.

Lombard placed fifth in the 200-meter dash in 22.56 seconds for Dakota State.  Witt added a time of 23.63 seconds.

The Trojans concluded the USD Twilight in the 1500-meter run, led by Blake Schmiedt with a time of 4:21.26 and Joshua Tucker in 4:29.68. 

Concordia (Neb.) Twilight

Dakota State won the men's 4 x 800-meter relay with the NAIA 'A' automatic qualifying time, posting the stadium record time of 7 minutes, 35.88 seconds.  The relay members included Franklin Johns, Nolan Slominski, Cody Farland, and Tyler Nicke. 

Their time is the third fastest men's 4 x 800-meter relay in DSU school record book.

Nicke posted his personal best time of 1:54.04 in the 800-meter run for the Trojans.  Johns added a time of 1:58.34.

Up Next

The NAIA national office will announce their official list of national qualifiers for the NAIA Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championship, which is slated for May 20-22 at Karl Straus Track in Asheville, N.C.