HARRISBURG — Watertown and Aberdeen Central’s athletes combined for nine event victories in the 2025 Eastern South Dakota Conference track and field meet.

Aberdeen Central won two events in the boys division and four in the girls division, placing fourth out of 10 teams in each division.

Watertown’s girls won three events and and placed fifth, and Watertown’s boys won one event and finished eighth.

“At one point, our girls were in third and the boys fourth, but we just didn’t have much left as far as competitors in the final events. Aberdeen edged us out in the girls division, but we still finished in the top half, so that’s cool,” Watertown coach Chad Rohde said.

Harrisburg snapped Brandon Valley’s 10-year run of championships in the girls division, winning by a 159-154.5 margin. Brandon Valley knocked off defending champion Harrisburg 165.5-144.5 to win the boys division.

“Brandon Valley and Harrisburg have so many kids in so many areas that it’s unbelievable,” Rohde said. “It was a little cool, especially early in the meet, but it didn’t rain. I would say everybody competed hard. Each team had a few ups and downs and left a couple of points out there, but I was happy with how they competed.”

Malia Kranz led Watertown by repeating as the girls’ discus champion (137-6) and also winning the javelin (114-3). Mayla McGhee cleared 5-2 to win the girls’ high jump. Lincoln Schutt, Jeremiah Schulte, Austin Redfield and Alan Moen teamed to win the boys’ 800-meter relay (1:32.36) for the Arrow boys.Aberdeen Central event winners were Kyson Fyant (boys’ 110 hurdles, 39.55), Mya Arampatzis (girls’ 100 hurdles, 14.64), Taryn Hermansen (girls’ shot put, 43-3) and Jaidyn Forsyth (girls’ pole vault, 12-0). Aberdeen Central’s girls repeated as the 400-meter relay champs with a time of 50.18 seconds. Keyana Stillman, Lucy Fritz and Gracie Rife ran on the squad for a second straight year and were joined this year by Arampatzis.Watertown and Aberdeen are each scheduled to compete in the Mark Wendelgass Relays at Huron on Thursday, May 22, 2025 — the final meet before the state track meet Thursday through Saturday, May 29-31, 2025, at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.ESD Final Team ScoresBoys Division — Brandon Valley 165.5, Harrisburg 144.5, Yankton 93.5, Aberdeen Central 90.5, Pierre 81, Brookings 69, Mitchell 58, Watertown 55, Tea Area 14, Huron 9.Girls Divison — Harrisburg 159, Brandon Valley 154.5, Pierre 90, Aberdeen Central 85, Watertown 82.5, Yankton 60, Mitchell 50.5, Tea Area 40, Brookings 30, Huron 28.5.Other Watertown PlacewinnersGirls Individual Events —Alayna Smith (5. 100 dash, 12.36; and 7. 200 dash, 26.01); Kranz (2. shot put, 41-1); Grace Corey (6. discus, 109-9); Jordan Remmers (6. javelin, 111-0); Reese Munger (T-3. high jump, 5-0); Ericka Woolley (5. pole vault, 10-60); Marli Wadsworth (7. pole vault, 10-0); and Makenna Blank (5. long jump, 17-1.5; and 2. triple jump, 36-7.75).Girls Relays — 5. 400, 51.22 (Blank, Anna Hirtz, Carighan Klatt, Smith); 5. 800, 1:48.25 (Blank, Hirtz, Ashlynn Andrews, Smith); and 7. 3,200, 10:37.18 (Kate McElroy, Remmers, Grace List, Olivia Anderson).THE LAST 35: Writer Roger Merriam’s look at the athletic success of area high schools from 1985 through 2020

• Boys Individual Events — Alan Moen (6. 100 dash, 11.02 and 4. 200 dash, 22.34); Jeremiah Schulte (8. 400 dash, 53.31); Dane Stark (5. 800 run, 2:01.85; 3. 1,600 run, 4:28.79 and 5. 3,200 run, 10:07); Charlie Whiting (3. pole vault, 14-0); Asher Young (4. pole vault, 13-6); and Jacob Holgate (7. pole vault, 12-6).
• Boys Relays — 7. 400 relay, 44.87 (Schutt, Redfield, Shey Coltrin, Moen); 4. 3,200, 8:34.77 (Gabe List, Tucker Lundie, Bayley Steiner, Stark); and 7. Medley, 3:56.27 (Jacob Sadler, James Clendenin, Dylan Selchert, List).

Other Aberdeen Central Placewinners

• Girls Individual Events — Gracie Rife (3. 100 dash, 12.2; and 4. 200 dash, 25.7); Camryn Albrecht (8. 400 dash, 1:05.27); Espynn Kuhfeld (6. 100 hurdles, 15.78; and 4. 300 hurdles, 46.72); Catelynn Weig (8. 100 hurdles, 15.94); Hermansen (4. discus, 115-7); Fritz (7. high jump, 5-0; and 7. long jump, 16-10); and Brecken Santjer (4. pole vault, 10-6).
• Girls Relays — 4. 800, 1:46.72 (Stillman, Arampatzis, Kuhfeld, Rife); 6. 1,600, 4:21.00 (Kuhfeld, Albrecht, Cadence Kling, Kalli Huff); and 7. Medley, 4:37.88 (Ava Schaunaman, Regan Lust, Fritz, Allison Brenner).
• Boys Individual Events — Carter Lust (5. 100 dash, 11.02 and 6. 200 dash, 22.58); Brendan Phillips (7. 400 dash, 52:87; and 2. high jump, 6-1); Carson Urlacher (3. 3,200 run, 9:51.19); Kyson Fayant (3. 110 hurdles, 15.26); 5. Jack Podoll (5. 300 hurdles, 42.0); 6. Colby Dauwen (6. 300 hurdles, 42.72); Joran Foss (2. shot put, 50-8; and 4. discus, 157-6); Brenner Waldrop (8. javelin, 144-7); Tyler Bain (6. high jump, 5-11); Gabe Sumner (6. pole vault, 13-0); and 8. Evan Sichmeller (8. pokle vault, 12-0).
• Boys Relays — 6. 400, 44.48 (Eli Biegler, Karson Borge, Cadden Forred, Lust); 3. 800, 1:32.83 (Biegler, Borge, Forred, Lust); 2. 1,600, 3:27.03 (Biegler, Fayant, Phillips, Dauwen); 6. 3,200, 8:50.96 (Bryson Burgard, Maddox Dinger, Max Nelson, Patrick Severson); and 5. Medley, 3:52.58 (Noah Harrison, Borge, Tyler Bain, Esten Foss).

Here’s some highlights from other area conference track meets last week (for complete results, visit www.athletic.net):

Eastern Coteau Conference

BRITTON — Great Plains Lutheran added to its title streaks by winning the boys division for the 19th straight year and the girls division for the 15th straight year.

Point totals in the boys division included Great Plains Lutheran 235, Britton-Hecla 100, Tri-State 92, Wilmot 77, Waverly-South Shore 54, Florence-Henry 52.5 and Waubay-Summit 44.5. GPL won the girls division with 226.5, followed by Britton-Hecla 129.5, Tri-State 88.5, Florence-Henry 48, Waverly-South Shore 45, Wilmot 22.5 and Waubay-Summit 22.

Micah Holien won the 100 (11.4), 200 (23.53) and 400 (51.87) dashes and also ran on the winning 1,600 relay for GPL’s boys. Hessel Andringa took the 300 hurdles (43.6), long jump (21-3) and triple jump (39-4) and also ran on the winning 1,600 relay. Lucas Johnson won the high jump (6-4) and Hayden Karli the 800 (2:07.5), and each ran on the winning 1,600 relay.

Daniel Person of Britton-Hecla won the 1,600 (5:06.56) and ran on the winning 3,200 (9:05.46). Ben Suther ran on all three winning relays for Britton-Hecla, including the 400 (47.26), 800 (1:37.31) and 3,200. Dashel Davidson, Bryce Hawkinson and Mitchell Burger also won on the 400 and 800 relays.

Chloe Berg won the 1,600 (6:19.97) and 3,200 (14:29.57) runs for GPL’s girls. Addison Byer of Florence-Henry won the 200 dash (27.52) and ran on the winning 800 (1:54.8) and medley (4:38) relays along with Andie Rislov, Roean Raymer and Ana Byer. Shali Laurence of Tri-State won the shot put (33-9) and discus (111-5), and Ava Teveldal and Daynika Zuehlke each ran on Britton-Hecla’s winning 1,600 (4:32.23) and 3,200 (11:08.19) relays.

Lake Central Conference

CLARK — Deuel’s boys and Clark-Willow Lake’s girls each won team title in the seven-school meet.

Deuel scored 189 points, followed by Sioux Valley 185.5, Flandreau 188, Clark-Willow Lake 92, De Smet 63, Hamlin 53.5 and Castlewood 46. In the girls division, Clark-Willow Lake rolled with 201 points, followed by De Smet 134.5, Flandreau 134, Deuel 130.5, Sioux Valley 123, Castlewood 20 and Hamlin 9.

Oliver Fieber sparked Deuel’s boys by winning the 100 (10.48) and 200 (22.62) dashes and running on the winning 400 (1:30.67) and 800 (43.77) relays along with teammates Axel Gallardo and Gavin Kloos. Gabe Sather won the 110 (14.65) and 300 (41.91) hurdles and also ran on the winning 800.

Carson Wosje of Sioux Valley won the 800 run (2:10.6) and ran on the winning 1,600 (3:31.82) and 3,200 (9:04.64) relays along with teammates Brock Christopherson and Brady Hiltunen.

Cadence Bochek led Clark-Willow Lake’s girls by winning the 200 (28.24) and 400 (1:01.76) dashes. Adison Renkly of Sioux Valley won the 100 hurdles (15.14), long jump (17-8) and triple jump (36-9.5).

Lake Region Conference

IPSWICH — Ipswich won the boys division for the eighth straight year with 154 points. Other teams included North Central (143.5), Warner (100.5), Faulkton Area 95, Frederick Area (73), Leola (69), Aberdeen Christian (47.5), Northwestern (46) and Langford Area (16.5).

Warner repeated as the girls division champion with 214.5 points, followed by Ipswich 196, North Central 120, Faulkton Area 80.5, Northwestern 52, Aberdeen Christian 41, Langford Area 17, Leola 9 and Frederick Area 7.

Kyle Hettich fueled Ipswich’s charge in the boys division by winning the 100 (10.78), 200 (22.20) and 400 (52.19) dashes and also running on the winning 1,600 relay (3:40.72). Teammate Rasmus Loken won the pole vault (12-6) and also ran on the winning 1,600 relay.

Gabe Johnson of North Central, 800 run (2:10.3), 1,600 run (4:51.59) and 3,200 relay (9:26) and Spencer Melius of Faulkton Area, 110 hurdles (15.29), 300 hurdles (42.87) and javelin (131-7) each won three events, and Dustin Wurtz of Leola, discus (137-3) and shot put (56-1.5). Hunter Kern, Gavin Nickelson, Brayden Heuer and Noah Kippley combined to win the 400 (45.41) and medley (3:59.29) relays for Frederick Area.

Shawnteah La Croix of Aberdeen Christian won the girls’ 100 (12.5) and 200 (26.17) dashes. Aubree DeRaad of Ipswich ran on the winning 800 (1:55.08) and 1,600 (4:22.31) relays, and Shaye Sauerwein of Warner ran on the winning medley (4:45.18) and 3,200 (10:49.58) relays. Ipswich’s Sophia Knittel (400 dash, 1:02.48) and Madisyn Gellhaus (1,600 run, 5:48.9) each won events and also ran on the winning 1,600 relay.

281 Conference

HURON — Wessington Springs won the boys division with 141 points, ending Wolsey-Wessington’s three-year reign. Sunshine Bible Academy was second at 135.5, followed James Valley Christian 128, Wolsey-Wessington 127, Hitchcock-Tulare 107.5, Iroquois-Lake Preston 58, Sanborn Central-Woonsocket 31 and Highmore-Harrold 14.

Wolsey-Wessington won the girls division with 185 points, followed by Hitchcock-Tulare (160), Wessington Springs (97), James Valley Christian (85), Sanborn Central-Woonsocket (72), Sunshine Bible Academy (68), Iroquois-Lake Preston (40) and Highmore-Harrold (36).

Logan LaBrie of Hitchcock-Tulare won the 100 (11.6) and 200-meter (24.36) dashes in the boys division.

Multi-event winners in the girls division included Emma Schneider of Hitchcock-Tulare, long jump (16-1), triple jump (35-7) and 400 relay (53.67); Emmerie Arthurs of Hitchcock-Tulare, 100 dash (12.81) and 400 relay; Abby Hinman of Sunshine Bible Academy, 200 dash (28.42) and 800 relay (4:17.77); and Hadlee Holt of Irouqois-Lake Preston, shot put (39-2) and discus (133-1).

Northeast, Dakota Valley & Big East Conferences

The Northeast and Big East Conference meets were cancelled because of the weather. The NEC meet was scheduled for Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Redfield.

The BEC meet was also scheduled for Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Flandreau and was postponed to Friday, May 16, 2025, before finally being cancelled.

The DVC meet has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 22, 2025, at White.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

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