MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State women's track and field team was picked to finish 11
th at the NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships later this winter, as the NSIC released its 2025-26 NSIC Women's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll today.
The NSIC also named its Preseason Track and Field Athletes of the Year, and highlighted track and field athletes to watch this season from each team, with Minot State sisters Bailey and
Afton Wride being named the Beavers' track and Beavers' field athletes to watch, respectively.
"The women's team should have a nice balance across the sprints, middle distance, jumps, and throws to be competitive at the conference level," Minot State head coach
Jordan Aus said. "We have some upperclassmen with a lot of experience that should be competing at the top of the conference in their respective events.
"I look forward to watching the hard work pay off for this group."
Minot State, which received 64 points in the poll, opens the indoor season this weekend, competing Saturday at the Mike Thorson Open hosted by the University of Mary. The NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships will be hosted by Minnesota State, Mankato, on February 28 and March 1.
The host Mavericks were picked to win their 7
th straight indoor title.
Two-time NSIC indoor champion
Bailey Wride was named the track athlete to watch for the Beavers as the junior from Kalispell, Montana, won the 600 meters in 2024, and the 1,000 meters in 2025.
"Bailey is the returning indoor conference champ in the 1,000 meters, and she will look to continue to be at the top of the conference in the middle-distance events," Aus said. "Bailey has put in the work this fall and she is ready to have another strong season in the middle-distance events."
Her younger sister, Afton, a sophomore, was named the Beavers' field athlete to watch and comes in holding the No. 2 mark in Minot State's NCAA era in the indoor triple jump (35 feet, 11.25 inches). Afton also was ninth in the triple jump at the NSIC Outdoor Championships last spring with a mark of 37-0.5.
"Afton is coming off a strong outdoor track season in which she made the finals in the triple jump at the conference meet," Aus said. "She should continue to build off of her strong freshman season and should look to be very competitive at the conference level in the triple jump."
While the Mavericks were a heavy favorite to win the NSIC title with 14 first-place votes and 196 points, Mary was picked 2
nd with one first-place vote and 181 points.
Augustana was picked 3
rd with 164 points, Winona State 4
th with 150 points, Sioux Falls 5
th with 147 points, Northern State 6
th with 135 points, Minnesota Duluth 7
th with 125 points, Minnesota State Moorhead 8
th with 92 points, Southwest Minnesota State 9
th with 79 points, Concordia-St. Paul 10
th with 68 points, Minot State 11
th with 64 points, Bemidji State and Wayne State tied for 12
th with 56 points, Jamestown was 14
th with 37 points, and St. Cloud State was 15
th with 27 points.
Minnesota State's senior sprinter and hurdler Ashanti Harvey, an NCAA All-American in the 100-meter hurdles outdoors last season, was named the NSIC Track Preseason Athlete of the Year, and the Mavericks' senior All-American pentathlete, Miranda Lauvstad, was named the NSIC Field Preseason Athlete of the Year.
2025-26 NSIC Women's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll
| RANK |
TEAM |
POINTS |
| 1 |
Minnesota State (14) |
196 |
| 2 |
Mary (1) |
181 |
| 3 |
Augustana |
164 |
| 4 |
Winona State |
150 |
| 5 |
Sioux Falls |
147 |
| 6 |
Northern State |
135 |
| 7 |
Minnesota Duluth |
125 |
| 8 |
Minnesota State Moorhead |
92 |
| 9 |
Southwest Minnesota State |
79 |
| 10 |
Concordia-St. Paul |
68 |
| 11 |
Minot State |
64 |
| t12 |
Bemidji State |
56 |
| t12 |
Wayne State |
56 |
| 14 |
Jamestown |
37 |
| 15 |
St. Cloud State |
27 |
