RAPID CITY, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan Track & Field competed in the 2026 Bauer Open, hosted by NCAA Division II school South Dakota School of Mines, facing a handful of DII and NAIA teams in the midweek meet.
On the women's side of competition, Riley Jones led the way as the freshman placed first in both the high jump and long jump, recording best leaps of 1.52m and 5.54m, respectively. Her podium-level effort was matched by Dani Deffenbaugh, who finished in second place behind Jones in the long jump at 5.23m, and would outright win the javelin with a 35.79m best throw. She was joined in the javelin by Samantha Kludt, who placed fifth with a 30.82m mark, and Hailey Oswald, who posted a 22.51m. Kludt would compete in the discus and hammer throw as well, placing 14th and sixth in each event, respectively, while Oswald went on to post a 1:05.83 in the 400m race on the track. For throws, Shirley Huckins and Devin Hongslo competed alongside Kludt, with Huckins finishing second in the discus with a 40.20m throw, while Hongslo posted her best mark in the shot put, placing sixth with a 11.46m. Ashlyn Maldonado and Ella Pollreisz rounded out the effort on the track, with Maldonado placing seventh in the 400m with a 1:12.26, while Pollreisz was the lone distance competitor, recording a 20:43.77 in the 5000m.
In the men's portion of the competition, Trevor Sladky would have a standout day with a first-place finish in the long jump, recording a 6.53m, and would be closely trailed by Quenton Walls, who finished second with a 6.44m mark. Walls would also place fourth in the triple jump with a 12.83m leap, and would be joined by Sean DeBlieck in the event, who posted a 12.01m mark to place sixth, and would also be DWU's top mark in the 100m with an 11.28-second time. Quincy Stephens competed in the 100m, 200m, and long jump, with his best placement coming in the long jump with a 5.76m leap. Maxwell Raab and Tayne Herrmann competed in the javelin, with Raab taking second with a mark of 52.91m, and Herrmann placing fifth at 46.85m. Herrman would also place top-five in both the 110m- and 400m-hurdle races in a solid effort. Carter Harris and Talan Heezen tied to earn top-100 NAIA marks in the pole vault, both clearing 4.12m on the day to finish in fourth and fifth place. On the track, Dustin Lemaster, Kellen Brozik, and Graham Huffman represented the rest of the men's team between mid-distance and distance contests. Lemaster placed top-10 in the 400m with a 51.28 and finished 11th in the 200m, while Brozik finished top-15 in both races. Huffman rounded out the full team's effort with a 4:33.57 in the 1500m, placing 11th in the process.
DWU Track & Field will be back in action at the Mount Marty Twilight on Tuesday, April 21st. See the full 2025-26 schedule here.