April 8, 2026
HELENA, Mont. and KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Dakota State (S.D.) junior Oliviyah Thornton of Garretson, S.D., delivered a statement performance in her outdoor home season debut to earn Frontier Conference and NAIA National Women's Field Athlete of the Week honors.
It is the first time in DSU women's track & field program history to have a recipient for the NAIA National Outdoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week. O. Thornton received the national weekly honors for the second time this season (earned NAIA Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week honor last February).
Competing at the Steinborn/Beacom Twilight on March 30 with NCAA Division I South Dakota State, O. Thornton turned the home opener at the Dan Beacom Track & Field Facility into a record-breaking showcase, powering Dakota State past the usual early-season rust with elite marks, meet records, and two school records.
Thornton's biggest highlight came in the hammer throw, where she produced a career-best 56.04 meters (183 feet, 10 inches) to win the event in a field of 10 athletes. The throw not only secured the title, but it also set a Dan Beacom Track & Field Facility meet record and rewrote the Dakota State record book.
The performance carried even more weight on the national stage, as it met the NAIA "A" automatic qualifying standard and currently stands as the top mark in the NAIA this season.
She was just as solid in the shot put, backing up her hammer victory with another first-place finish and another facility record. Thornton won the shot put with a mark of 14.30 meters (46 feet, 11 inches) in a seven-athlete field, again hitting an NAIA "A" standard.
That throw ranks No. 3 in the NAIA, underscoring her versatility as a multi-event thrower who can score at a high level across disciplines.
Thornton also added a strong performance in the discus, placing third with a throw of 41.10 meters (134 feet, 10 inches). The finish was especially notable given the competition level, as she placed behind two DI throwers.
With two wins, two NAIA automatic qualifiers, multiple facility records, and school records in both the hammer throw and shot put, Thornton's home opener was as complete as any field athlete's weekend in the NAIA.
Dakota State competes in the NCAA Division I meet, the University of South Dakota Snooze Button Classic Wednesday (today) in Vermillion. The Trojans also compete in the two-day Sioux City Relays this weekend at Olsen Stadium on the campus of Morningside (Iowa).