The Britton-Hecla track team saw its first action of the season on Thursday in an indoor meet at Northern State University with 15 teams participating.
The local thinclads will open their outdoor season next week Thursday at Milbank.
“It was just kind of nice to get everybody out to see some competition,” said B-H coach Stephanie Symens. “We had a few people win which is always fun. We’re also implementing some new track ideas this year and it was nice to see things moving in a way we want them to.”
Seniors Daniel Person and Dashel Davidson and freshman Jaelee Grupe were the Braves’ event winners. Person topped the field in the 1600 run and Davidson won the 55 dash, while Grupe took the high jump title. Person also tacked on a second place finish in the 800 run and Davidson was second in the 200 dash.
Some of those new ideas this season are coming from new coaches. Jenna Nordquist, a former head track coach at Tri-State, and Katrina Knecht, are assisting this year, along with returning assistant Jacob Skogstad.
“Jenna ran distance in high school and I’m excited to see what our distance team can do this year,” said Symens. “I’m handling the long and triple jump, Katrina is doing hurdles, and Jacob is handling the throwers. We will all help each other out and try to balance ourselves to where we can help the kids the most. We’re excited to see what the year brings us.”
A total of 52 kids in grades 7-12 reported for spring practice with 37 of those high schoolers. Symens does expect some of the 15 junior high tracksters to also be able to compete at the varsity level.
Ten boys and 10 girls are returning that were letterwinners a year ago. Boys include seniors Person and Davidson; juniors Bryce Hawkinson, Bryce Heitkamp, Jade Tisher, Jaxon Zuehlke, and Will Richter; sophomores Ben Suther and Mitchell Burger; and freshman Jack Teveldal. Back for the girls are senior Jeris Stark; juniors Abby Lee, Ava Teveldal, and Karlie Zuehlke; sophomores Avalon Dinger, Daynika Zuehlke, and Marley Sundin; and freshmen Jaelee Grupe, Chellon Robinson, and Kara McLaen.
Five of those boys and six girls were state qualifiers last year and two were state placers. Person placed eighth in the 1600 run and ran on the 1600, 800, and medley relay quartets. Lee qualified for triple jump for the second straight year and placed third.
Davidson qualified in the 100 dash and also ran on the medley relay with Person, Hawkinson, and Suther. Richter, Hawkinson, and Suther joined Person on the 3200 and 1600 relay squads.
On the girls side McLaen was an 800 run qualifier as an eighth grader and Sundin qualified in the 100 dash. Daynika Zuehlke, Stark, and Teveldal return from the state-qualifying 3200 relay quartet.
“We have a great group of kids that are excited,” noted Symens. “We do move up to Class A this year which I think scares some of them because we are one of the smallest Class A schools, but we have a lot of talent on our team and I think we will be able to compete at the A level.”
As usual, the track squad has been battling weather during preseason workouts.
“We’ve been inside some of the time and missed a couple of practices because of weather,” noted Symens. “But we should have a solid week of practice before our first outside meet and we’re just trying to get into the groove. This week we’ll be focusing on our pacing in the distance events, getting out of the blocks, relay handoffs, and figuring out who will be running on the relay teams.”
The B-H coach thinks her team will be able to make some noise in a number of areas this spring.
“With Abby back in both the long and triple jump we should be strong there, I think we have some distance runners that could do well this year, and I think our boys 1600 and 3200-meter relays could be pretty decent. I’m excited to see what all our relay teams can do with everybody a little older and a little stronger. We took a nice group to state last year and I hope that group can even be a little bigger this season.”
The top 24 times or distances in each event during the season earn state berths with a limit of three qualifiers per event per school.
Symens also thinks her team can be a contender for top three finishes in both the Northeast Conference and Eastern Coteau Conference meets.
“Milbank is always tough in the NEC being a little bigger school, Webster and Hamlin will have some good runners, and Groton always has some great distance runners. In the ECC Great Plains Lutheran will put together a nice team and Florence-Henry will have some good runners. I really think we could be a contender for a top three finish in both meets for sure if we have good days.”
The B-H boss also has a goal of breaking a couple of school records – even one of her own.
“The coaches and I were talking about a couple of school records on the board that we would really like to see broken this year and hopefully the kids can use that as a focus point. When I was a junior in high school in 1997 Elizabeth Eye, Beckie Sime, Sandi Deutsch, and myself set the 400 relay record and that needs to needs to be broken. The boys 1600 relay record set in 1985 by L. Eckmann, S. Wallace, D. Walker, and K. Jones is even older, and we have some boys that can run some pretty fast quarters.”
NSU INDOOR RESULTS
Participating Teams: Edgeley-Kulm, LaMoure-Litchfield-Marion, Sargent County, Aberdeen Christian, Frederick Area, Leola, Potter County, Timber Lake, Aberdeen Roncalli, Britton-Hecla, Groton Area, Mobridge-Pollock, Tri-State, Webster Area, Aberdeen Central
BOYS RESULTS
55 Dash: 1. Dashel Davidson 6.84; 200 Dash: 2. Dashel Davidson 25.13; 400 Dash: 2. Bryce Hawkinson 57.44; 800 Run: 2. Daniel Person 2:08.0 4. Jack Teveldal 2:17.49 6. Jaxon Zuehlke 2:19.64 7. Will Richter 2:21.11; 1600 Run: 1. Daniel Person 5:04.04 3. Jack Teveldal 5:06.04; 1600 Relay: 2. BH (Bryce Hawkinson, Jaxon Zuehlke, Ben Suther, Daniel Person 3:51.54; 4. BH (Dashel Davidson, Will Richter, Chaz Vietor, Nathan Folkman) 4:09.92; High Jump: 1. Chaz Vietor 5-8.75 2. Lofton Heer 5-7
GIRLS RESULTS
High Jump: 1. Jaelee Grupe 4-7.75; 55 Dash: 4. Marley Sundin 7.90; 800 Run: 8. Daynika Zuehlke 2:43.03; 55 Hurdles: 3. Chellon Robinson 11.11; 1600 Relay : 2. BH (Daynika Zuehlke, Ava Teveldal, Chellon Robinson, Kara McLaen) 4 :56.94 3. BH (Jiana Davidson, Marley Sundin, Avalon Dinger, Jaelee Grupe) 5:08.37
SEASON SCHEDULE
APRIL
15 – JH at Milbank 4 p.m.; 17 – At Milbank 3:30 p.m.; 17 – JH at Sisseton 2 p.m.; 22 – Orville Pfitzer Relays in Britton 2 p.m.; 24 – Redfield Relays 10 a.m.; 25 – JH at Groton 2 p.m.; 28 – JH in Britton 3:30 p.m.; 29 – at Groton 11 a.m.
MAY
2 – at Sisseton 1 p.m.; 2-3 – Howard Wood Relays in Sioux Falls; 6 – at Milbank 1:30 p.m.; 9 – at Sisseton 1 p.m.; 12 – JH at Webster 3 p.m.; 13 – ECC Meet in Britton 1 p.m. (includes JH); 15 – NEC Meet in Redfield; 19 – JH at NEC Meet in Milbank 10 a.m.; 22 – at Webster noon; 29-31 – State Meet in Sioux Falls
