BISMARCK, N.D. — The Dickinson State men's and women's track and field teams continue the early portion of the 2026 indoor season Saturday at the U-Mary Winter Classic, carrying national momentum, school record performances and a growing list of NAIA qualifiers into the weekend.
Through the opening meets of the season, the Blue Hawks have produced multiple NAIA "A" and "B" qualifying marks, highlighted by national-leading performances in the throws and jumps. Saturday's competition provides another opportunity for Dickinson State to strengthen its national position as the program builds toward Frontier Conference competition and the NAIA Indoor Championships.
Field Events Lead the Way for Blue Hawks
Dickinson State's early season success has been anchored by standout performances in the field events, where several athletes currently rank among the NAIA's best.
Senior Kori Nagel continues to lead the nation in the women's throws. Nagel owns NAIA "A" and "B" qualifying marks in both the weight throw and shot put, including a school record mark of 19.08 meters in the weight throw. Her shot put mark of 15.25 meters also meets both qualifying standards and ranks first nationally entering the weekend.
On the men's side, senior Dylan Dahlgren has set the tone with a school record performance in the weight throw. Dahlgren posted a mark of 19.24 meters to meet the NAIA "A" standard and currently ranks among the top competitors in the country. He has also added a national qualifying mark in the shot put this season.
In the jumps, Dickinson State features two of the NAIA's top women. Senior Adarra Hagelund leads the nation in the high jump after clearing 1.72 meters to meet both the NAIA "A" and "B" standards. Junior Faith Brennan sits atop the NAIA triple jump rankings with a qualifying mark of 12.28 meters and has also added a "B" standard in the long jump.
The Blue Hawks have added additional national qualifiers in the field with sophomore Ty Leischner meeting the NAIA "B" standard in the men's high jump at 2.04 meters. Senior Rebecca Eacker has also secured a national qualifying mark in the women's weight throw by meeting the NAIA "B" standard.
Women's Team Shows Balance on Track and Field
Behind the national-leading field performances, the Dickinson State women continue to show depth across multiple disciplines.
In the throws, Nagel is joined by senior Alician Parks, sophomore Codi Nagle, freshman Alayna Carlson and Eacker, all of whom have contributed marks that place them among the NAIA performance lists early in the season.
On the track, sophomore Mia Handran leads the middle distance group with an early season performance of 2:20.45 in the 800 meters. Junior Loli Jarrett and senior Natalie Lile provide depth in the 800 meters and mile, while Lile also enters the weekend fresh off a school record performance in the 1,000 meters.
Men Continue to Build Across the Roster
The Dickinson State men enter the U-Mary Winter Classic with balance across event groups and multiple athletes trending upward early in the season.
Along with Dahlgren's national-level performances, Ty Bennick and Maxx Lee add depth in the throws. In the middle distances, senior Hudson Atkinson continues to lead the group, while junior Caleb Sarsland has opened the season in the longer events.
Dickinson State also brings experience in the multi events, with senior Garin Opdahl leading the heptathlon group after a strong showing earlier this season.
Momentum Carries Into U-Mary Winter Classic
With school records already falling and a growing list of NAIA national qualifiers across both programs, Dickinson State enters Saturday's U-Mary Winter Classic positioned to continue its strong start to the 2026 indoor season.
Competition is scheduled for Saturday, January 24th, in Bismarck.
