SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University men's and women's track & field teams once again travel south to the state of Nebraska to compete as they are in action on Saturday at the Don Holst Open in Chadron, Nebraska. The Yellow Jackets have posted three new school records this season through three meets and additionally have secured four NCAA Provisional marks in 2025-26.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date/Time/Location: Saturday, January 31 / 9 a.m. / Chadron, Neb. / Nelson Physical Activity Center

#26 MEN'S TRACK & FIELD STORYLINES

• Black Hills State is set to compete in their second meet of the season after having last competed at the WSC NCAA Showdown last weekend. The Yellow Jackets posted a pair of school records and NCAA Provisional marks with Evan Smith in the 800m run and Chase Maher in the pole vault, to go along with two additional top-10 marks in program history.
• The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish 11^th in the 2025-26 RMAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll. A year ago, they finished tied for seventh in the conference meet with 23 points.
• Earlier this week the USTFCCCA announced their first rankings of the indoor track & field season, which showcased Black Hills State at No. 26 nationally.
• Black Hills State returns three student-athletes who earned all-conference last season during the indoor conference championships, including Anderson who was First Team All-RMAC in the 800m run, Maher who was Second Team All-RMAC in the pole vault, and Pearson who was Second Team All-RMAC in high jump.
• Anderson, one of the top mid-distance runners in school history, enters the meet currently ranking second in school history in the 800m run as he clocked a time of 1:50.93 at the UND Tune-Up last winter, which at the time was a school record. He also ranks fifth in program history in the 600m run with a time of 1:22.77 in the 2023 BHSU Holiday Open and is sixth in school history in the 1,000m run as he ran to a time of 2:29.58 in the Birds and the Bees Holiday Open in December.
• Evan Smith, broke Anderson's record in the 800m run last weekend at the WSC NCAA Showdown, running to a time of 1:49.89, which was the first sub:1:50 time in school history in the event. Smith also ranks eighth in program history in the 1,000m run, posting a time of 2:30.56. He currently ranks second on the RMAC Indoor Performance List in the 800m run and is eighth in NCAA Division II as his time hhit an NCAA Provisional mark.
• Maher, only a sophomore from nearby Rapid City, broke the school record in the pole vault last weekend at the WSC NCAA Showdown, clearing a career-best height of 5.01m (16' 5.25"). His mark leads the RMAC, being the only pole vaulter to clear 16' in the conference this season, and he ranks 19^th nationally in NCAA Division II have secured an NCAA Provisional mark.
• Also in the pole vault, McKalester Johns ranks tenth in school history having cleared a mark of 4.56m (14' 11.5") at the 2024 Birds and the Bees Holiday Open. He cleared a season-best 4.50m (14' 9") last weekend at Wayne State, which ranks eighth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• Rounding out the trio of returning all-conference performers, Pearson already notched a top-10 mark in school history this season, as the sophomore recorded a career-best jump of 1.98m (6' 6") to win the high jump in the Birds and the Bees Holiday Open last month. His mark in the season opener also ranks fourth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• In the sprints, the Yellow Jackets are highlighted by another sophomore, Landon Scalise, who entered the season in the top-10 in school history in the 60m dash and already recorded a new career-best time in the event in the season opener. At the Birds and the Bees Holiday Open in December he posted a pair of sub-7 second times, including a time of 6.93 seconds in the finals to move to fourth in school history in the event. The time, converted to 6.95, also ranks eighth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• Jayden Curtis entered the season holding the fifth-fastest time in program history in the 60m hurdles, clocking a career-best time of 8.59 seconds at the 2025 RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Additionally, he is also tied for tenth in program history in the long jump, recording a mark of 6.81m (22' 4.25") at the 2024 Birds and the Bees Holiday Open. He currently ranks eighth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• In the 400m dash, Flynn Johnston cracked the top-10 of the program's best times last season, tying for ninth with a time of 50.50 seconds at the 2025 SDSU Indoor Classic.
• Jaxon Straus returns having clocked the ninth-fastest time in program history in the 5,000m run a year ago, posting a time of 15:07.38 at the 2025 SDSU Indoor Classic. While he has not ran in the 5,000m run this season, he has recorded a career-best time of 8:40.67 in the 3,000m run at the WSC NCAA Showdown.
• Drew Lehman has recorded top-10 school performances in three events this season. He broke a 50-year-old school record in the triple jump at the Dave Little Alumni Mile, becoming the first in program history to jump 48' feet as he posted a mark of 14.69m (48' 2.5") that is fourth in the RMAC and is 32^nd in NCAA Division II as a provisional mark. Then at the WSC NCAA Showdown last weekend, he recorded the fourth-best long jump mark in school history with a career-best mark of 7.02m (23' 0.5"), which ranks fifth in the RMAC, and he also posted the seventh-fastest 60m dash time in school history with a time of 7.08.
• Bridger Anderson, who entered the season top-10 in school history in the long jump, also entered the top-5 along with Lehman in the event at the Birds and the Bees Holiday Open in December. He posted a career-best mark of 6.96m (22' 10"), which ranks eighth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• Ryan Baker, who enter the season ninth in program history in the weight throw, moved up a pair of spots to seventh after the Dave Little Alumni Mile with a mark of 17.75m (58' 3") to win the event. He currently ranks fourth in the league on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD STORYLINES

• Black Hills State is set to compete in their fourth meet of the season after having last competed last weekend at the WSC NCAA Showdown. The Yellow Jackets recorded one NCAA Provisional mark (Gretchen Adamski – pole vault), and had three new all-time top-10 marks in school history.
• The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish tenth in the 2025-26 RMAC Women's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll. A year ago, they finished 11^th in the conference meet with 6.5 points.
• Black Hills State returns one student-athlete who earned all-conference last season during the indoor conference championships, as Erin Weibel is back after receiving Second Team All-RMAC honors in the pole vault.
• Weibel is currently tied for sixth in program history in the pole vault, having cleared 3.68m (12' 0.75") at the 2025 RMAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. She began the season in December with a season-best mark of 3.65m (11' 11.75") to win the event at the Birds and the Bees Holiday Open, which is currently fourth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• Also in the pole vault, Adamski has made a jump to fifth in school history as she cleared a career-best and NCAA Provisional mark of 3.72m (12' 2.5") at the WSC NCAA Showdown. The mark currently ranks second on the RMAC Indoor Performance List and is 27^th nationally in NCAA Division II.
• Avery Marler had one of the best collegiate debuts in school history, posting three top-10 marks in program history. She ranks second in the Yellow Jacket record books with a time of 7.79 in the 60m dash, second in the long jump with a mark of 5.53m (18'1.75") and is seventh in the 200m dash with a time of 25.96. On the RMAC Indoor Performance List, she ranks sixth in the league in the 200m dash (time converted to 25.45), tenth in the long jump, and 11^th in the 60m dash (time converted to 7.81).
• Also, in the 60m dash, Saraya Afrank returns and entered the season with a top-10 time in program history, clocking an 8.08 at the 2025 Dave Little Alumni Mile that currently ranks tenth in the record books. This year she has recorded a season-best time of 8.11 for third place in the finals of the 2026 Dave Little Alumni Mile.
• In the mile, Katelyn Krieger enters the season ranked ninth in school history with a career-best time of 5:08.70 at the 2025 SDSU Indoor Classic.
• Black Hills State currently has two of the top-10 runners in school history in the 5,000m run, as Evie Boyd ranks seventh and Emma Hofmeister is tenth, posting times of 17:56.62 and 18:15.22 respectively at the 2025 SDSU Indoor Classic.
• Hofmeister also cracked the top-10 last weekend at the WSC NCAA Showdown with a career-best time of 10:15.83 in the 3,000m run, ranking seventh in program history.
• The 4x400 relay team of Afrank, Madyson Wolfe, Gracie Wilts, and Marler recorded the third-fastest time in program history in the event with a time of 3:59.10 at the WSC NCAA Showdown last weekend. The quartet notched just the third sub-4:00 time in school history and the first since 2004.
• In the shot put, Hanah Sullivan entered the year ranking seventh in school history with a mark of 13.74m (45' 1") at the 2024 Dave Little Alumni Mile. This year she has recorded a season-best of 12.39m (40' 7.75"), which ranks 12^th on the RMAC Indoor performance List.
• In the weight throw, Cassidy Goddard recorded the tenth-best throw in school history last weekend at the WSC NCAA Showdown with a mark of 16.36m (53' 8.25"). That mark currently ranks fifth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
• In the pentathlon, Weathers remained tenth in school history having accumulated a new career-best of 2,822 points to win the event at the Birds and the Bees Holiday Open in December. She currently ranks 11^th on the 2025-26 RMAC Indoor Performance List.