February 4, 2025

BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Star Athletic Association announced their sixth installment of the 2024-25 Women’s and Men’s Indoor Track & Field Athletes-of-the-Week Tuesday.  Dickinson State (N.D.) earned the women’s weekly awards, with Kori Nagel selected as Field Athlete-of-the-Week and her teammate Jewel Olson being named Track Athlete-of-the-Week.  Dakota State (S.D.) swept the men’s weekly awards with Chantz Minear receiving the Field Athlete-of-the-Week, while his teammate Nolan Slominski earning the Track Athlete-of-the-Week award.

North Star Athletic Association Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Kori Nagel – Dickinson State (N.D.) – Junior – Center, N.D. – Nagel took runners-up honors in the throwing events for Dickinson State (N.D.) at the NCAA Division I meet, the South Dakota State D2/NAIA Open.  She was the top NAIA place finisher in both weight throw and shot-put events.  She broke a new weight throw school record mark of 18.08 meters (59 feet, 4 inches), which is also the NAIA ‘A’ automatic qualifying mark.  Her weight throw mark currently ranks No. 4 in the NAIA.  Nagel added 14.02 meters toss (46 feet) in the shot put. 

North Star Athletic Association Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Chantz Minear – Dakota State (S.D.) – Senior – Des Moines, Iowa – Minear posted the third best heptathlon score in Dakota State’s (S.D.) school history at the NCAA Division I meet, the South Dakota State D2/NAIA Open.  He scored a personal best 5,038 points to win the heptathlon event in the field of 14 athletes.  Minear’s score ranks him fifth in the NAIA and currently leads the North Star Athletic Association.

North Star Athletic Association Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Jewel Olson – Dickinson State (N.D.) – Senior – Wolf Point, Mont. – Olson captured an event title at the NCAA Division I meet, the South Dakota State D2/NAIA Open, for Dickinson State (N.D.).  She won the 400-meter dash with the NAIA ‘B’ provisional qualifying time of 57.16 seconds in the field of 34 runners.  Her time ranked 11^th in the NAIA.  Olson also ran an anchor on the Blue Hawks’ 4 x 400-meter relay team that established a new school record and NAIA ‘B’ provisional qualifying time.  Olson, along with Kyley Barnett, Mia Handran, and Kaitlyn McColly finished with a time of 3 minutes, 57.04 seconds in the race.

North Star Athletic Association Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Nolan Slominski – Dakota State (S.D.) – Sophomore – Blair, Neb. – Slominski broke the Dakota State’s (S.D.) school record in the 600-meter run at the NCAA Division I meet, the South Dakota State D2/NAIA Open.  He clocked a time of 1 minute, 19.60 seconds to finish second in the race.  His time is the NAIA ‘B’ provisional qualifying time, which is currently seventh best time in the NAIA.  Slominski also anchored the 4 x 800-meter relay team to the fifth best time in school history and qualified them to the nationals.  The members of Evan Armstrong, Franklin Johns, Curtis Johnson, and Slominski finished with a time of 7 minutes, 48.81 seconds to finish second in the race.  They are currently ranked No. 12 in the NAIA.

Looking Ahead
Bellevue (Neb.) heads to Maryville, Mo., for the NCAA Division II meet, the Bearcat Invitational hosted by Northwest Missouri State on Friday and Saturday.

Dakota State (S.D.) will be competing in three different meets this weekend.  The Trojans compete in the Mount Marty (S.D.) Last Chance on Friday, while taking selected members to the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational on Friday and Saturday.  Dakota State will take their multi-event athletes to the North Dakota State Bison Open on Friday and Saturday.

Dickinson State (N.D.), Jamestown (N.D.), and Valley City State (N.D.) travel to Fargo, N.D., on Friday and Saturday for the NCAA Division I meet, the North Dakota State Bison Open.

                    Friday’s Meets
                    Bellevue (Neb.) @ Bearcat Classic – Maryville, Mo.
                    Dakota State (S.D.) @ Mount Marty (S.D.) Last Chance – Yankton, S.D.
                    Dakota State (S.D.) @ Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational – Lincoln, Neb.
                    Dickinson State (N.D.), Jamestown (N.D.), & Valley City State (N.D.) @ North Dakota State Bison Open – Fargo, N.D.

                    Saturday’s Meets
                    Bellevue (Neb.) @ Bearcat Classic – Maryville, Mo.
                    Dakota State (S.D.) @ Mount Marty (S.D.) Last Chance – Yankton, S.D.
                    Dakota State (S.D.) @ Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational – Lincoln, Neb.
                    Dickinson State (N.D.), Jamestown (N.D.), & Valley City State (N.D.) @ North Dakota State Bison Open – Fargo, N.D.