BROOKINGS, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) hosted the NAIA Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championships for the sixth straight year, the fifth time in the last six years that it was held at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on the campus of South Dakota State University.  It is the 59^th annual running of the NAIA Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship, which opened competition with the heptathlon and long distance individual and relay events. 

• The heptathlon event kicked off the national meet, where each athlete competed in five different events – 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, and high jump.
• Nigel Steenwinkel of Cumberlands (Ky.) tied the NAIA national meet heptathlon 60-meter dash record with a time of 6.98 seconds (Pieter Top of Westmont, Calif., and Jaden Haldeman of Mount Vernon Nazarene, Ohio). He led after the first event with 889 points.
• Roberts Atwater of Midland (Neb.) and Steenwinkel exchanged the lead through the next three heptathlon events. Atwater overtook the lead after the long jump and leaped 6.91 meters (22 feet, 8 inches).
• Steenwinkel regained the lead with 2,125 points after the shot-put event of the heptathlon. 
• Atwater then moved back into the lead after Thursday’s final event in the high jump. He tied the NAIA men’s heptathlon national meet record after clearing the height of 2.02 meters of 6 feet 7.5 inches (Robbie Haynie of Eastern Oregon in 2012).
• Atwater leads the heptathlon standings after the first day at 2,899 points. Mason Schleis of Mount Marty (S.D.), who finished third in last year’s NAIA heptathlon, is second with 2,792 points.
• Treshawn Roberts of Dakota State (S.D.) followed with a third place standing after scoring 2,787 points. His teammate Chantz Minear is fourth with 2,747 points.
• The heptathlon continues Friday morning with the 60 meter hurdles at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the pole vault and the 1000 meter run.
• A total of 33 runners kicked off the 5000 meter run semifinals Thursday, paced by freshman Luca Madeo of Cumberlands (Ky.) with the top time of 14:35.92. A total of 12 runners will run in the national final Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.
• Thursday’s meet consisted of three relay events. The top two teams in each heat (3 total heats) and the next two fastest times secured a spot in the national finals.
• The 4x800 meter relay team featured an exciting first heat, where Dordt (Iowa) edged Dakota State (S.D.) for the top time. The Defenders hit a time of 7:37.21, followed by the Trojans with a time of 7:37.41.
• Seven of the eight teams that advanced to the 4x800 meter relay finals, scheduled for Friday evening at 5:35 p.m. CT, produced season-best times in the semifinals.
• The day ended with the distance medley relay (DMR) with 22 teams competing (3 total heats). The top two places in each heat, plus the next two best times, will run in the national final on Saturday at 4:40 p.m. CT.
• Benedictine (Kan.) eclipsed the 10-minute mark to claim the top time in the DMR, hitting a time of 9:59.59.

The 3000 meter racewalk will be the first individual national title to be crowned Friday morning at 11:05 a.m. CT.  Four other events will also be crowned as national champions on Friday. Three field events are set to start at noon CT with the weight throw, followed by high jump at 2 p.m. CT, and long jump at 4 p.m. CT.

Numerous semifinal running events start at 12:20 p.m. (CT), beginning with the 1-mile run and concluding with the national final in the 4x800 meter relay.