Mitchell, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan Track & Field team will be sending four athletes to the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The four athletes that qualified for nationals during the season include, Lila Gronseth who qualified in three events (Shot Put, Discus, Hammer), Wyatt Baldauf who qualified in two events (1500m & 3000s), Darby Deffenbaugh who also qualified in two events (Discus & Hammer), and finally Abbigail Magnuson who qualified in the Shot Put.
Lila Gronseth will be returning to the National stage for the second time this track season, after her National Standard marks in the shot put during the indoor season. Gronseth qualified for the shot put with a season best throw of 13.24m at the Red Raider Open (4/21/23) which was a National "B" Standard. For the discus, Gronseth qualified with a toss of 42.81m at the Sioux City Relays (4/14/23) this was a National "B" Standard and good for 4th all-time in DWU history. Lila's third and final event was the hammer throw when she qualified with a 49.06m mark at the Concordia Twilight (5/11/23), good for another National "B" Standard and 4th all-time in DWU history. Lila will compete in the hammer throw (final) at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 24th. The shot put is set for Thursday the 25th at 2:30 p.m. Discus will be Friday the 26th at 1:00 p.m.
Wyatt Baldauf, like teammate Gronseth, returns to Nationals after qualifying for just about every distance event during the indoor season. For the outdoor season Baldauf qualified in the 1500m with a season-best finish of 3:54.22 at the Loper Twilight (5/13/23) which was a National "B" Standard and set the Outdoor Dakota Wesleyan school record beating the previous time of 3:59.84 set by Mel Peterson in 1984. This new record marks Wyatt's sixth school record. The second event is the 3000 steeplechase which Baldauf set another school record with his time of 9:23.84 at the Bobcat Invitational (3/30/23) which was good for the National "A" Standard. Wyatt will compete in the 1500m (semi-final) at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday the 24th and the 3,000s (semi-final) at 7:55 p.m. on Wednesday the 24th.
Darby Deffenbaugh will make her debut at the National Championships after qualifying in the discus and hammer throw. Deffenbaugh qualified for the hammer throw after a season-best mark of 50.10m at the Concordia Twilight (5/11/23) good for the National "B" Standard and 3rd all-time in DWU history. For the discus, Darby qualified at the Loper Twilight (5/13/23) with a season-best 42.69m mark which was good for the National "B" Standard and 6th all-time in DWU history. Darby will compete in the hammer throw (final) at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 24th. Discus will be Friday the 26th at 1:00 p.m.
Abbigail Magnuson will also make her debut at the National stage in Marion, Ind. Magnuson will be competing in the shot put after her season-best toss of 13.36m at the Loper Twilight (5/13/23) which was a National "B" Standard and 3rd all-time in DWU history. Abbigail competes in the shot put Thursday the 25th at 2:30 p.m.
The NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships is set for May 24th-26th in Marion, Ind. The full schedule, live results and video for the event can be found at the links below.