GRAND FORKS, N.D. –  South Dakota women brought home the program’s first Summit League women’s indoor championship trophy and the South Dakota State men picked up their program’s second title Saturday inside the Frederick “Fritz” D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center. The championship was highlighted by eight broke records, repeat champions and personal-best performances.
 
Women’s Individual Awards
Track Championship MVP: Kelby Anderson, North Dakota State
Field Championship MVP: Shalom Olotu, Oral Roberts
Newcomer of the Championship: Marleen Mülla, South Dakota
 
Men’s Individual Awards
Track Championship MVP: Ben Olson, South Dakota State
Field Championship MVP: Trevor Otterdahl, North Dakota State
Newcomer of the Championship: Jack Rosner, St. Thomas
 
Final Standings
The South Dakota women captured their first-ever indoor crown with a total of 200.5 points with reigning champion North Dakota State in second with 152 points. South Dakota State took third with 135.5 points followed by Oral Roberts (72.25), North Dakota (67.5), St. Thomas (18.5), Omaha (11.75) and Western Illinois (5).
 
On the men’s side, the Jackrabbits earned their second league title in the last four years with a total of 173 points. South Dakota finished runner-up with 171 total points. North Dakota State came in at third with 157 points while Oral Roberts (63.5), St. Thomas (48.5), Western Illinois (30) and North Dakota (17) rounded out the standings.
 
Top Performers
South Dakota State’s Ben Olson claimed the Track Championship MVP honor on the men’s side with after totaling 28 points throughout the championship for the Jackrabbits. During the first day of competition, Olson dominated the 3,000-meter run clocking a new meet-record time of 8:09.82 to take gold.
 
Olson carried the momentum into today’s events. He earned is second first-place finish of the meet in the mile clocking a time of 4:07.22. He finished out the championship with a runner-up finish in the 5,000m behind teammate Joseph Minor-Williams (14:12.33). His second-place time of 14:12.41 was below the meet record (14:21.45) set by SDSU’s Kyle Burdick back in 2019.
 
North Dakota State’s Trevor Otterdahl earned the title of Field Championship MVP on the men’s side. On day one of the championships, he registered a career-best mark of 74-05.50 (22.69m) to take home the weight throw title. His winning mark moved him up to sixth in the NCAA this season.
 
During today’s events he took runner-up in the shot put behind teammate Kristoffer Thomsen. He threw a mark of 62-04.00 (19.00m) to claim silver.
 
League newcomer St. Thomas took home the final men’s individual award. Tommie freshman Jack Rosner took the men’s Newcomer of the Championship award with a total of eight points. Rosner finished runner-up in the heptathlon with 4,818 total points.
 
Through seven events he finished first in the 1,000m (2:42.87) and runner-up in both the 60m (7.27) and the 60m hurdles (8.45).
 
NDSU’s Kelby Anderson notched the women’s Track Championship MVP title after totaling 26 points for the Bison. Anderson ran away with the 3,000m title on Friday in 9:29.02 for the second-fastest time of her career. Today she finished runner-up in the mile, clocking a time of 4:52.47.
 
She closed out the championship with a second-place finish in the 5,000m. She clocked a time of 16:50.33.
 
Oral Roberts’ Shalom Olotu claimed the women’s Field Championship MVP accolade with a total of 20.75 points on the weekend. She started the championship with a gold medal in the long jump with a winning mark of 19-01.50 (5.83m).
 
She carried that momentum into the final day of the championship where she claimed another gold medal in the triple jump. On her final jump in the triple, she registered a mark of 40-03.25 (12.27m) to take first place.
 
Olotu closed out the meet finishing tied for seventh in the high jump with a height of 5-03.00 (1.60m).
 
South Dakota’s Marleen Mülla became the second-consecutive Coyote to take home the Newcomer of the Championship award on the women’s side. She earned 10 points for the Coyotes after winning the pole vault with a personal-best height of 14-05.25 (4.40m).
 
Other Notable Performances
South Dakota’s Jack Durst defended his high jump title clearing a height of 6-08.25 (2.04m).
 
South Dakota’s Sara Reifenrath claimed her second-consecutive 400m league title. She took the event in a time of 53.70. Reifenrath then defended her 200m title in a time of 23.52 to break her meet record from last season (23.73).
 
South Dakota State’s Rich-Ann Archer defended her 60m title with a new meet-record time of 7.32. The previous record of 7.35 was set back in 2018 by Oral Roberts’ Aniekeme Etim.
 
Ackeen Colley, who set the league record yesterday in the prelims (1:48.41), defended his 800m title today. During the finals, he clocked a time of 1:48.83 to take gold in the event.
 
Minor-Williams defended his title in the 5,000m with a meet record time of 14:12.33.
 
South Dakota and Oral Roberts capped off the championship claiming the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay titles. South Dakota’s women captured back-to-back titles in the event with a new league record time of 3:42.90. Oral Roberts’ men followed the Coyotes’ lead taking the relay crown in a record-breaking time of 3:10.44.
 
Men's Championships Won
Heptathlon: Eric VanErp, North Dakota State | 5,091 pts
High Jump: Jack Durst, South Dakota | 6-08.25 (2.04m)
Triple Jump: Jacob Jenkins, South Dakota | 48-03.25 (14.71m)
Shot Put: Kristoffer Thomsen, North Dakota State | 64-02.25 (19.56m)
Mile: Ben Olson, South Dakota State | 4:07.22
400m: Demar Francis, South Dakota | 47.44
60m: Dylan Kautz, South Dakota | 6.71
60m hurdles: Pierre Lear, South Dakota State | 7.98
800m: Ackeen Colley, Western Illinois | 1:48.83
200m: Demar Francis, South Dakota | 21.36
5,000m: Joseph Minor-Williams, South Dakota State | 14:12.33
4x400m relay: Oral Roberts | 3:10.44
 
Women's Championships Won
Triple Jump: Shalom Olotu, Oral Roberts | 40-03.25 (12.27m)
Shot Put: Amanda Anderson, North Dakota State | 51-01 (15.57m)
Pole Vault: Marleen Mulla, South Dakota | 14-05.25 (4.40m)
High Jump: Daniella Anglin, South Dakota | 5-10.75 (1.80m)
Mile: Cailee Peterson, South Dakota State | 4:49.55
400m: Sara Reifenrath, South Dakota | 53.70
60m: Rich-Ann Archer, South Dakota State | 7.32
60m hurdles: Gabrielle Gibson, Oral Roberts
800m: Oksana Johnson, South Dakota State | 2:10.02
200m: Sara Reifenrath, South Dakota | 23.52
5,000m: Leah Hansen, South Dakota State | 16:48.63
4x400m relay: South Dakota | 3:42.90