April 25, 2023

BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Star Athletic Association announced its fifth installment of the Women’s and Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athletes-of-the-Week Tuesday.  Dickinson State (N.D.) swept the women’s weekly awards with Kaitlyn McColly as the Field Athlete-of-the-Week, while her teammate Wrenzi Wrzesinski as the Track Athlete-of-the-Week.  Conner Tordsen of Dakota State (S.D.) was named as the Men’s Field Athlete-of-the-Week.  Jalen Anderson of Viterbo (Wis.) was selected as the Men’s Track Athlete-of-the-Week.

North Star Athletic Association Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Kaitlyn McColly – Dickinson State (N.D.) – Sophomore – Hinsdale, Mont. – McColly set the Dickinson State (N.D.) and North Star Athletic Association records in the heptathlon in the Al Bortke Open.  She tallied 4,862 points as she captured the heptathlon title.  McColly produced a pair of personal records during the heptathlon event, hitting a career-best 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches) in the high jump, and 34.23 meters (112 feet, 4 inches) in the javelin throw.  Her mark met the NAIA ‘B’ provisional qualifying standard. 

North Star Athletic Association Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Conner Tordsen – Dakota State (S.D.) – Senior – Fairmont, Minn. – Tordsen competed in two different meets as he won four titles in a span of four days for Dakota State (S.D.).  He produced four NAIA ‘A’ automatic qualifying standards.  Tordsen faced challenging weather conditions with temperatures of 35 degrees, blowing snow, and 20 miles-per-hour wins after winning three throwing titles in the Northwestern (Iowa) Red Raiders Open.  He hit 59.77 meters (196 feet, 1 inch—NAIA ‘A’) in the hammer throw, 52.11 meters (170 feet, 11 inches – NAIA ‘A’) in the discus throw, and 15.29 meters (50 feet, 2 inches) in the shot put.  Tordsen added a hammer throw title at the NCAA Division I meet, the Monday Meet hosted by South Dakota.  He tossed 60.86 meters (199 feet, 8 inches—NAIA ‘A’) to win the title.  He also finished second in the discus throw of 51.39 meters (168 feet, 7 inches—NAIA ‘A’).

North Star Athletic Association Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Wrenzi Wrzesinski – Dickinson State (N.D.) – Senior – Baker, Mont. – Wrzesinski took the runner-up honor in the 400-meter hurdles with the NAIA ‘A’ automatic qualifying time in the Al Bortke Open for Dickinson State (N.D.).  She clocked a time of 1 minute, 2.68 seconds in the race.  Wrzesinski added a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.64 seconds.  She leads the North Star Athletic Association in both of those events’ best times. 

North Star Athletic Association Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Jalen Anderson – Viterbo (Wis.) – Senior – Rockton, Ill. – Anderson hit the NAIA ‘A’ automatic qualifying time in the 110-meter hurdles at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Phil Esten Challenge.  After hitting a time of 14.85 seconds in the prelims, he produced a career-best time of 14.56 seconds to win the 110-meter hurdles.  Anderson added a time of 21.56 seconds to win the 200-meter dash title for the V-Hawks.

Looking Ahead
The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Multi-Events Championships that was originally set for April 21-22 in Orange City, Iowa, had been postponed (due to poor weather conditions) to May 10-11 in conjunction with the two-day conference meet on May 11-12 in Dickinson, N.D.

Dakota State (S.D.) prepares for two different meets this week, with most of the team competing at the Mount Marty (S.D.) Twilight meet Wednesday.  The Trojans will also compete in the Drake Relays Thursday through Saturday.

Valley City State (N.D.) prepares for their home twilight meet Wednesday afternoon. 

Dickinson State (N.D.) and VCSU travel to Moorhead, Minn., for the two-day Ron Masanz Classic, hosted by NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead. 

Iowa Wesleyan is scheduled to be in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday for the Drake Relays and the Viking Classic hosted by Grand View (Iowa).  Viterbo (Wis.) is also scheduled to compete in the Drake Relays Thursday through Saturday.  The V-Hawks are also slated to compete in the Dubuque Relays on Thursday.

Waldorf (Iowa) is set to compete in the Drake Relays and Kip Jarvin Invitational, hosted by Simpson (Iowa), on Friday and Saturday.

Bellevue (Neb.) travels to Lincoln, Neb. on Saturday for the Prairie Wolf Invitational, hosted by NCAA Division III Nebraska Wesleyan.

            Wednesday’s Meets
            Dakota State (S.D.) @ Mount Marty (S.D.) Twilight Meet – Yankton, S.D.
            Valley City State (N.D.) Twilight Meet – Valley City, N.D.

            Thursday’s-Saturday’s Meets
            Dakota State (S.D.), Iowa Wesleyan, Viterbo (Wis.), Waldorf (Iowa) @ Drake Relays – Des Moines, Iowa

            Thursday’s Meet
            Viterbo (Wis.) @ Dubuque Relays – Dubuque, Iowa

            Friday’s-Saturday’s Meets
            Dickinson State (N.D.), Valley City State (N.D.) @ Ron Masanz Classic – Moorhead, Minn.
            Waldorf (Iowa) @ Kip Jarvin Invitational – Indianola, Iowa

            Saturday’s Meets
            Bellevue (Neb.) @ Prairie Wolf Invitational – Lincoln, Neb.
            Iowa Wesleyan @ Viking Classic – Des Moines, Iowa
 

The NSAA Player of the Week is selected from a pool of conference players of the week.  Sports information director representatives from each conference institution may nominate players for the specific conference award in each category.  A voting panel comprising of sports information directors from each conference institution vote using the PrestoSports secure platform.

Nick Huntimer, North Star Athletic Association Sports Information Director