Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports and Marketing Information Director
Bismarck, N.D. – Dickinson State opened its outdoor track and field season with multiple top national performances and event wins across both the men's and women's teams.
On the women's side, Adarra Hagelund cleared 1.75 meters in the high jump to match her school record and move into the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA. Faith Brennan delivered a mark of 11.70 meters in the triple jump, the second-best performance in the NAIA so far this season. Kaitlyn McColly ran 14.35 in the 100-meter hurdles to take over the No. 5 spot nationally.
In the throws, Chloe Gunderson led a deep Blue Hawk shot put group with a winning toss of 13.07 meters, good for fifth in the NAIA. Taylor Laumeyer threw 45.05 meters in the discus, currently ranking second nationally. Gunderson (41.83m), Rebecca Eacker (40.96m), and Bailey Hofland (38.35m) also scored in the event. Laumeyer added another event win in the hammer with a mark of 49.66 meters, followed by Alician Garcia (46.89m), Eacker (42.20m), and Hofland (41.84m), as DSU swept the top four spots.
On the track, Jewel Olson won the 400 meters in 58.37. DSU swept the top four places in the 100-meter hurdles with McColly, Zoey Heid, Taytum Stuhr, and Peyton McLaughlin. In the 800 meters, Mia Handran won in 2:25.88, and the Blue Hawks placed four athletes in the top seven of the 400 meters.
The women's 4x200-meter relay team of McColly, Handran, Olson, and Brennan placed third in 1:47.51.
In the women's pole vault, Taylynd Stuhr cleared 3.05 meters to finish third. Brennan also took second in the long jump with a leap of 5.40 meters. McColly and Abby Talkington added fourth and sixth-place finishes, respectively.
In the women's javelin, Codi Nagle threw 39.50 meters to place third. DSU placed five athletes in the top eight in the women's shot put and six in the top eight in the hammer throw.
On the men's side, Galen Brantley III's 16.30-meter effort in the shot put ranked fifth nationally. In the hammer, Dylan Dahlgren and Corbin Harris posted throws of 53.95 and 53.00 meters, ranking them fifth and sixth in the NAIA. DSU also earned scoring performances from Chase Waters, Maxx Lee, and Ty Bennick in the shot, discus, and hammer.
In the sprints, Christian Bowden won the 100 meters in 10.80 seconds. He also placed fifth in the 200 meters. Jackson Whicker was second in the 100 and eighth in the 200. Quentin Lewis and Hayden Lockie went third and fourth in the 400 meters.
In the men's pole vault, DSU swept the top three spots, led by Adrien Calderon (4.55m), Holden Will (4.20m), and Gage Glaser (3.90m). Ethan Schiller placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 13.03 meters and also scored in the long jump.
Freshman Jarett Schuchard won the 110-meter hurdles in 16.02, leading a DSU sweep of the top five places.
Head coach Shayne Wittkopp called the meet "a very good start for the Hawks," adding that there is still work to do moving forward.