Tiger track & field looks to carry success into outdoor season

MITCHELL, S.D. – Following the first National Champion in program history and four athletes earning All-American status, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's and women's track & field teams turn their attention to the 2019 outdoor season.

 Leading the way throughout the indoor season was senior Kamberlyn Lamer (Hartford, S.D.). She recorded arguably the best season in DWU track & field history after she secured a National Championship and won the Pentathlon and was named the 2019 Women's Field National Athlete of the Year.

 She capped off the conference season being named the Female Great Plains Athletic Conference Athlete of the Meet and recorded four top-five finishes. Lamer and her coaches look toward the outdoor season in hopes of continuing her success.

 "This is a special group of individuals and I'm blessed to have these students as my athletes," head track & field coach Zach Lurz said. "I've said it in many of our team meetings throughout the season and I believe this is one of the best squads in the NAIA. We don't have the numbers, but we are exceedingly talented. Kamber's national title highlights this group of kids, and it was a special day for her. She put together a performance that proved that she was the best pentathlete at the national championship without question."

 Mikaela Stofferahn (Dell Rapids, S.D.) also earned All-American honors at the national meet following an eighth-place finish in the shot put. The mark of 45-7.25 feet was a personal best in the event for Stofferahn. She also tallied a personal best in the weight throw at the Concordia Classic on Jan. 24-25 with a throw of 40-9.5.

 On the men's side, Tyson Jenkins (Clark, S.D.) looks to cap off a historic campaign with the DWU throwing team. He tallied a sixth-place finish in the shot put at the national meet and a 13^th-place spot in the weight throw. Throughout the season, Jenkins notched a personal best in the shot put at the SDSU Indoor Classic with a toss of 57-8.25. At the DWU Alumni Meet, Jenkins recorded a mark of 56-7.25 in the weight throw, good for another personal best.

 Matthew Campbell (Coloma, S.D.) tallied a pair of top-10 finishes at the national meet in the shot put and weight throw. He also recorded personal bests this season in the weight throw at 57-11 and in the shot put at 54-10.25.

 "For some of our younger individuals to perform so well this early on in their career, it makes us look forward to outdoor season," Lurz mentioned. "We were highlighted with Stoff (Mikaela Stofferahn) hitting a PR and competing really well in the shot put. It was a standout performance from her in the throws and it was great to have her All-American in her first indoor season."

 Jared Rabenberg (Britton, S.D.) capped off another record-setting indoor year and looks to make strides in the upcoming outdoor season. At the Ward Haylett Invitational on Jan. 12, Rabenberg took first place in the high jump thanks to a personal best leap of 7-0.25. He also tallied a personal record in the long jump at the GPAC Championships with a mark of 22-6.5. Rabenberg has recorded a total of five first-place finishes and seven top-five placements this season alone.

 "Track is a season of many highs and lows," graduate assistant jumping coach Taylor Bouchard commented. "Jared has always been an individual that never loses his calm no matter the outcome of a situation. He fought off the flu prior to nationals and had a shortcoming. Now, he is experienced and hungry to just go out and do what he always does. Clearing seven feet and becoming the GPAC champion are some things that will have a long-lasting impact on our program."

 The Tigers will kick off the outdoor season at the BVU Outdoor Open on Saturday, March 30 in Buena Vista, Iowa. Other important dates include the Sioux City Relays on April 12-13 in Sioux City, Iowa and the Red Raider Open on April 17-18 in Orange City, Iowa. The GPAC Championships take place from May 3-4 in Yankton, S.D., while the Concordia Twilight is on May 10 in Seward, Neb. The season is capped off at the NAIA National Outdoor Meet from May 23-25 in Gulf Shores, Ala.