Outstanding Performances for Trojan Track at Indoor DAC
Trent Lutmer
The Dakota State University men’s and women’s indoor track and field competed in the last DAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday. The Trojan women’s finished in a tie for fourth place, while the men’s placed fifth. The meet was hosted by Black Hills State University at the Donald E. Young Center.
Dickinson State won the men’s title with 210 points. Black Hills State was second with 151.5 points. Jamestown placed third with 107 points. South Dakota School of Mines was fourth (86.5 points). Dakota State scored 71 points for a fifth-place finish. Minot State placed sixth (43 points) and Valley City State was seventh (28 points).
For the men’s side, sophomore Andy Coy once again had an impressive day as he captured the 800-meter run and mile. In the 800 he ran 1:57.1 to hit the provisional standard and 4:19.54 in the mile to hit the automatic standard.
Senior Devon Berkness won the 5000-meter run with a time of 15:32.64 and was sixth in the one-mile run in which he ran 4:37.58.
Senior Phil Carmody captured a fourth-place finish in the men’s heptathlon. He set a new DSU school record with 3,765 points.
In relays, the DSU men’s 4 x 200-meter (Chance Clason, Stacey Berg, Gabe Samuelson and Ryan Huizenga) placed second with a time of 1:32.31. The Trojans were third in the 4 x 800-meter relay (Schlobohm, Berkness, Hoffman and Kace Groff) with a time of 8:40.47. The 4 x 400-meter relay (Samuelson, Coy, Jerad Schlobohm and Quenzer) clocked a time of 3:32.96 for a third-place finish.
With the women’s teams, Black Hills State won the women’s title with 272 points. Jamestown placed second with 187 points. Dickinson State recorded 72 points for a third-place finish. Dakota State and Minot State tied with 70 points. South Dakota School of Mines was sixth with 31 points and Valley City State placed seventh with 10 points.
Senior Danielle Rowe won the women’s high jump for her third straight year as she hit the automatic standard with a jump of 5 feet, 7 inches, and broke the DSU Indoor Track record for the women’s high jump; placed fourth in the 60 meter dash with a time of 8.16 seconds.
Sophomore Brittany Young finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:19.24, which is the provisional qualifying mark, and ran an impressive leg in the women’s 4×400 meter relay.
Sophomore Summer Bronson placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles final with a time of 9.70 seconds. Senior Brandi Gau placed sixth in the 60-meter dash final with a time of 8.36 seconds.
DSU women’s 4×200-meter relay team (Bronson, Rowe, Amber Krogstad and Gau) captured the event with a time of 1:46.65 and broke the DSU Indoor record in that event. The 4×400-meter relay (Beck, Young, Rowe and Gau) placed third in 4:13.27 and set the school record again.
In two weeks, seniors Devon Berkness, Danielle Rowe, and sophomores Andy Coy and Brittany Young will represent Dakota State University at the NAIA National Track and Field Championship. Athletes Coy, Rowe, and Young will be defending All-American titles at the Indoor National Championship.
The meet will be held on March 3-5th at the GAREAT (Geneva Area Recreational, Educational and Athletic Trust) Sports Complex in Geneva, Ohio.
