MINOT, N.D. – The outdoor track and field season gets underway this weekend for the Beavers, and things kicked off with the conference releasing the 2026 NSIC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday, along with Athletes to Watch for the team.
Minot State junior
Bailey Wride was named the Beavers' Track Athlete to Watch, while her sister,
Afton Wride, a sophomore, was named the Beavers' Field Athlete to Watch.
They lead the way for a Minot State women's track and field team picked to finish 14
th at the NSIC Outdoor Championships in May by the league's coaches in the preseason poll.
"The energy that we are bringing to the table: I am hoping to reinvigorate this program and allow us to become what we know we can be," first-year head coach
Erik Stevens said. "This group is helping with the foundation of that plan."
Minot State opens the outdoor season this Saturday, competing at the Marauders Outdoor Opener hosted by the University of Mary.
The Beavers return to Bismarck the first weekend of April for the Al Bortke Open as the outdoor season hits its stride with four busy weekends of action during the month of April prior to the NSIC Championships, hosted by Minnesota Duluth, May 7-9.
Leading the way for Minot State will be two-time NSIC indoor champion
Bailey Wride, a junior middle-distance runner from Kalispell, Montana, who was named the Beavers' Track Athlete to Watch this spring. Wride won the 600-meter title indoors as a freshman and the 1,000-meter title indoors as a sophomore. Last month at the NSIC Indoor Championships, she was 4
th in the 1,000 meters.
"Bailey was able to work through some not so ideal situations late in the indoor season to put herself in the final of the 1,000 and finish on the podium," Stevens said. "She has a great attitude every day that she steps in the building! I know that she will continue to bring the best to the track and allow herself to mix it up with the best in the conference."
Earning the Beavers' Field Athlete to Watch honor for this outdoor season was
Afton Wride, a sophomore jumper from Kalispell, Montana, who was 13
th at the NSIC Indoor Championships in the triple jump last month.
After just two seasons competing for Minot State, Wride finds herself in the top 10 in the Beavers' all-time outdoor record book in both the triple jump and long jump with career-best marks of 37 feet, 1.25 inches in the triple, which ranks No. 4, and of 17 feet, 1.5 inches in the long jump, which is tied for No. 7.
"Afton continued to progress through the indoor season with season-best marks and almost matching an all-time, personal best at the conference meet, and bordered on making the finals for the women's triple jump," Stevens said.
As a team, Minot State was picked 14
th by the coaches with 32 points.
Minnesota State, Mankato was picked to win the NSIC title with 14 first-place votes and 196 points, while Mary was the No. 2 pick by the coaches with 1 first-place vote and 183 points.
Augustana was picked 3
rd with 155 points, Winona State was picked 4
th with 152 points, Minnesota Duluth was 5
th with 145 points, Northern State was 6
th with 131 points, Sioux Falls was 7
th with 121 points, Wayne State was 8
th with 117 points, Concordia-St. Paul was 9
th with 89 points, Minnesota State Moorhead was 10
th with 81 points, Bemidji State was 11
th with 57 points, St. Cloud State was 12
th with 46 points, Jamestown was 13
th with 45 points, Minot State was 14th with 32 points, and Southwest Minnesota State was 15
th with 25 points.
Minnesota State, Mankato's senior sprinter, Laila Cleare, was named the NSIC Preseason Track Athlete of the Year. Cleare won both the NSIC 100- and 200-meter dash outdoor titles last spring.
Minnesota State, Mankato's senior heptathlete Miranda Lauvstad was named the NSIC Preseason Field Athlete of the Year. Lauvstad won the NCAA National Championship in the indoor long jump earlier this month and was second in the nation in the pentathlon.
2026 NSIC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches' Poll
| RANK |
TEAM |
POINTS |
| 1 |
Minnesota State, Mankato (14) |
196 |
| 2 |
Mary (1) |
183 |
| 3 |
Augustana |
155 |
| 4 |
Winona State |
152 |
| 5 |
Minnesota Duluth |
145 |
| 6 |
Northern State |
131 |
| 7 |
Sioux Falls |
121 |
| 8 |
Wayne State |
117 |
| 9 |
Concordia-St. Paul |
89 |
| 10 |
Minnesota State Moorhead |
81 |
| 11 |
Bemidji State |
57 |
| 12 |
St. Cloud State |
46 |
| 13 |
Jamestown |
45 |
| 14 |
Minot State |
32 |
| 15 |
Southwest Minnesota State |
25 |
