Yellow Jackets Return Home to Host the Myrle Hansen Open

SPEARFISH, S.D. – A week after recording 11 top-10 times and marks in school history between both the men's and women's team, the Black Hills State University track & field program returns home to Spearfish to host the second home indoor meet of the year on Saturday. The annual Myrle Hansen Open will welcome both regional rivals, Chadron State and South Dakota Mines, as the trio of programs continue to work on improving their individual rankings in the RMAC ahead of next weekend's conference championships.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date/Time/Location: Saturday, February 21 / 9:30 a.m. / Spearfish, S.D. / Donald E. Young Center Fieldhouse

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD STORYLINES

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.
Black Hills State returns two student-athletes who earned all-conference last season during the indoor conference championships, including Maher who was Second Team All-RMAC in the pole vault and Pearson who was Second Team All-RMAC in high jump.
Evan Smith, a transfer from NCAA Division I George Mason, has broken a pair of school records in his first season in Spearfish. Last weekend at the SDSU Indoor Classic, he broke the school record in the 400m dash, running to a time of 48.96, the first sub-49 second time in school history. Then back in January he broke the school's 800m run record with a time of 1:49.89, the first sub-1:50 time in program history. He currently ranks fourth in the RMAC and 20^th in NCAA Division II with a provisional time in the 800m run, and he is also currently tenth in the conference in the 400m dash.
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 is currently second in the RMAC and ranks 27^th nationally in NCAA Division II, having secured an NCAA Provisional mark.
Also in the pole vault, McKalester Johns now ranks seventh in school history after having cleared a career-best mark of 4.60m (15' 1") at the Don Holst Open last month. He currently ranks 11^th 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 in December. His mark in the season opener which is tied for eighth-best in program history, also ranks fifth 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 and ranks 17^th on the RMAC Indoor Performance List. He also found his way into the top-10 in school history in the 200m dash, clocking a career-best time of 22.64 at last weekend's SDSU Indoor Classic to tie for fifth in program history.
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.
Also in the 400m dash, Flynn Johnston cracked the top-10 of the program's best times last season, tying for ninth with a career-best time of 50.50 seconds at the 2025 SDSU Indoor Classic. He currently ranks 20^th on the RMAC Indoor Performance List with a season-best time of 50.83, adjusted to 49.78, at the Don Holst Open.
Also in the 800m run, Caden Strasser broke into the school's all-time top-10 a week ago at the SDSU Indoor Classic, recording a career-best time of 1:55.31.
Gavin Kuhlenbeck cracked the top-10 of the Black Hills State all-time performance list in the 3,000m run last weekend at the SDSU Indoor Classic, running to a career-best time of 8:24.83.
Landrum Wiley posted a pair of top-10 marks in school history at last weekend's SDSU Indoor Classic, now ranking tenth in program history in both the mile and 3,000m run. In the mile he ran to a career-best time of 4:14.91, and in the 3,000m run he clocked a career-best time of 8:31.40.
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. He competed in the 5,000m run for the first time this season last weekend at the 2026 SDSU Indoor Classic, posting a time of 15:22.12.
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"). He then re-broke his own record two weeks later at the Don Holst Open, jumping 15.26m (50' 0.75") for the second best mark in the conference and a provisional mark that is tenth in NCAA Division II. At the WSC NCAA Showdown, he recorded the fourth-best long jump mark in school history with a career-best jump of 7.02m (23' 0.5"), which ranks ninth in the RMAC. Last weekend on the track at the SDSU Indoor Classic, he clocked the seventh-fastest 60m dash time in program history, a time of 7.04.
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 11^th 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 fifth in the league on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD STORYLINES

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 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 fifth on the RMAC Indoor Performance List.
Also in the pole vault, Adamski has made a jump to fourth in school history as she cleared a career-best and NCAA Provisional mark of 3.75m (12' 3.5") at the SDSU Indoor Classic last weekend. The mark currently ranks third on the RMAC Indoor Performance List and is 31^st 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 was seventh in the 200m dash with a time of 25.96. Since her collegiate debut, she has improved upon her 200m dash time, clocking a now career-best and fifth-best in school history time of 25.84 at last weekend's SDSU Indoor Classic. On the RMAC Indoor Performance List, she ranks 14^th in the league in the 60m dash (time converted to 7.81) and long jump and is 16^th in the conference in the 200m dash (time converted to 25.45).
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.
Emma Hofmeister currently holds a pair of top-10 times in program history, doing so in the 3,000m run and the 5,000m run. At the WSC NCAA Showdown in January she recorded a career-best time of 10:15.84 in the 3,000m run, which is seventh-best in program history. Then last weekend at the SDSU Indoor Classic, she ran to the sixth-fastest 5,000m run time in school history, clocking a career-best time of 17:47.47.
Also in the 5,000m run at last weekend's SDSU Indoor Classic, Ava Allen was just seconds behind Hofmeister and tallied the seventh-fastest time in program history as she crossed the finish line in 17:53.36.
The third current Yellow Jacket to hold a top-10 time in the 5,000m run, Evie Boyd, recorded her mark in the event at last season's SDSU Indoor Classic, running to the now ninth-fastest time in program history at 17:56.62.
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 in January. 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 13.50m (44' 3.5") at last weekend's SDSU Indoor Classic, which ranks third on the RMAC Indoor performance List.
In the weight throw, Cassidy Goddard recorded the tenth-best throw in school history 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 13^th on the 2025-26 RMAC Indoor Performance List.