PUEBLO, Colo. – The 2025 season came to a close for the Black Hills State University track & field program at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday evening. The lone national qualifier for the Yellow Jackets, school record holder Braden Anderson, took to the track at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl in the 800m run and capped his season with a 19^th place finish against nation's best mid-distance athletes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

• Starting on the outside in lane eight of heat one, Braden Anderson was able to get out to a quick start, cutting down into third place as the field moved down to the inside lane following the opening 100m of the race. As he looked to make another pass and move into second place at the 200m mark, his momentum stalled as his feet got tangled with Emil Meggle of CSU Pueblo while they looked to chase down Prince Mcabelo of West Texas A&M in the lead at the time. Anderson was able to regain his footing around the turn as he maintained third place for the moment, before completing the first lap with the fourth-fastest 400m time of 53.45. He battled to keep pace with the second pack of three runners on the last lap and an opportunity at one of the remaining spots for the finals determined by the next fastest times, however, his pace of 58.85 was 2.53 seconds off the ensuing 400m of the competitors. Anderson finished sixth in his heat and 19^th overall with a time of 1:52.29 in the 800m run.
• Heat one featured five sub-1:50 times while the other two had four apiece.
• Of the nine qualifiers for the finals of the 800m run, four came from heat two, three from heat one, and two from heat three.