Blue Hawks Rise to the Occasion at NAIA Indoor Track & Field Nationals

Track and Field athletes, coaches, and supporters flocked to Gainesville, Florida, for the NAIA Track & Field National Championships from March 5th- 7th, including 14 athletes from Dickinson State University (DSU). Led by head coach and DSU alum Shayne Wittkopp (’08), the Blue Hawks ended the indoor season with seven All-American performances, three national champions, and the Women’s national runner-up team standing.

Wittkopp was a six-time national qualifier as a Blue Hawk athlete and a top ten finisher at the NAIA National track meet in the men’s triple jump. In 2004, 2005, and 2006, Shayne was a member of the DSU Outdoor National Championship teams, and in 2003, the runner-up team. He first coached for the Blue Hawks as an assistant jumps coach in 2007. His athletic and coaching experience was supported by assistant throws coach Tanner Gust and assistant mid-distance and distance coach Dr. Thomas Schwartz. “We're a small program compared to the other national powerhouses in the NAIA. What it really comes down to is the fight in the athlete. I've been consistently impressed with our women's ability to go toe to toe with the nation's best over the last several years,” said Wittkopp.

The women’s team certainly brought their best effort to the championship weekend. Junior Faith Sullivan-Brennan became the first Blue Hawk to stand on the podium, earning the individual national title in women’s triple jump with a performance of 12.35 meters (m) (40’ 6.25”). While the Blue Hawk women were battling in the shot-put event Friday morning, senior Adarra Hagelund was defending her national title in the women’s high jump. Coaches, athletes, and spectators were going from event to event and back again, waiting for the results that could really shake up the team standings. Adarra pulled off a first-place finish with a jump of 1.78m (5’ 10”). The performances continued to deliver for the Blue Hawks, with sophomore Codi Nagle earning All-American status with a 6th place finish in women’s shot put at 13.98m (45’ 10.5”), while senior Alician Parks finished 17th with a throw of 12.19m (40’ 0”). Rounding out the women’s throwing team was a 10th-place throw of 16.91m (55’ 5.75”) from senior Rebecca Eacker in women’s weight throw.

Senior Kori Nagel finished a “dominant year” with a 2nd place performance in women’s shot put at 15.6m (50’ 0.75”) and a national title in women’s weight throw at 19.22m (63’ 0.75”). “It was a super rewarding season! I am blessed to be a part of a team that was able to win the Frontier Conference as well as placing 2nd as a team at the national meet! Thankful to be a part of such an amazing team that has the best people and the best coaches,” Nagel remarked. Rounding out the women's team was a solid group of middle-distance runners, sophomore Mia Handran competed in the 800 meters and joined the women’s 4x800 team alongside seniors Natalie Lile and Lauren Taylor, and junior Lolo Jarrett. At this point, the Blue Hawks were in first place with 41 points, waiting for the track events to finish. When Marian University women won the distance medley, they overtook the team standings, leaving the Blue Hawks with a well-earned runner-up finish.

The Blue Hawk men finished 36th as a team, bringing four determined men to the weekend for a variety of events. Junior Caleb Saraland completed a fantastic season with an All-American 4th place finish in the men’s 3000-meter race with a personal best of 8:11.6. Senior Dylan Dahlgren earned All-American status in the men’s shot put with a throw of 19.07m (62’ 6.75”) and finished 14th place in the men’s shot put with a throw of 15.85m (52’ 0”). Sophomore Ty Leischner took 15th place in the men’s pole vault at 4.70m (15’ 5”), and Junior Adrien Caldern took 18th in the event at 4.55m (14’ 11”)

“The National Meet was a fantastic weekend for the program. Athletes work hard their whole careers for the opportunity to compete at the national level, and our ladies not only did that, but they really rose to the occasion. I'm really happy for the ladies that the electricity of the environment over the three days is something they're going to remember the rest of their lives. That's really what it's all about, creating an unforgettable experience,” said Wittkopp.

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Written by Sarah Griffis – DSU HF Content Writer