South Dakota
Howard Wood Dakota Relays: Day 2 roundup of results
Lincoln senior Ellen Merkley stood on the turf of Howard Wood Field, staring up at the bleachers as the crowd cheered her on for her achievements, taking it all in. Merkley was awarded the 2024 Howard Wood Gold Medal Scholarship on Saturday.
The Dakota Relays Gold Medal scholarship was established in 2000. The Howard Wood Dakota Relays Board of Directors created the scholarship to reward a South Dakota track and field student-athlete who has chosen to continue participation in the sport at the collegiate level in South Dakota.
“It was fun,” Merkley said of receiving the award. “I have been coming to Howard Wood since I was a seventh grader when I started competing with Lincoln. It’s just been so fun to watch all the different competitors and there’s been amazing competition here.”
Merkley applied for the scholarship and her coach James Jarovski wrote her a letter of recommendation telling the board why she deserved the recognition. Although she said it’s kind of cliche, Jarovski has always been in her corner through the good times and bad.
“No matter what, I can tell that he’s my biggest fan,” Merkley said of her head coach.
Merkley was part of the team that set the state meet record in the 4×100. She also stood out from the crowd of applicants with her extracurricular activities. The senior is currently the editor-in-chief of the Lincoln High School student newspaper.
Merkley committed to continuing her track and field career, alongside her sister Lauren Merkley and a few other Lincoln alums, at Augustana University.
Here is the round-up of Sioux Falls-area schools from Day 2 of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays
- Brandon Valley’s Wyatt Melcher placed third in the Boys triple jump with a 44-07 leap, the second-best mark in AA.
- Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s David Ndong placed fifth in the Boys triple jump with a 43-11 leap.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Rylee Punt placed third in the Girls Pole Vault with a 11-03 mark.
- Brandon Valley’s Shelby Bergan finished third, broke her personal record, and set the top in Class AA in the Girls 300m hurdle with a 45.61 time.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Halle Braun finished fourth in the Girls 300m hurdle, setting the second-best time in Class A with a 45.76 mark.
- Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Luke Eichacker finished fourth in the Boys 300m hurdle, set a new personal record and the third-best mark in Class AA with a 40.26 time.
- Harrisburg’s Tate Larson finished fifth in the Boys 300m hurdle with a 40.46 time.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Girls 1600m sprint medley team of Ashlee VanDriesen, Mya VanDonge, Katie VanderLeest, and Ellie Maddox finished first with a time of 4:17.43.
- Brandon Valley’s Girls 1600m sprint medley team of Shelby Bergan, Madison Pederson, Addison Scholten, and Sarah VanDeBerg finished first with a time of 4:08.04.
- Harrisburg’s Girls 1600m sprint medley team of Brylee Krier, Amarise Okken, Ragyn Peska, and Bria Miller finished second with a time of 4:17.72.
- Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Girls 1600m sprint medley team of Irene Thaenrat, Faith Peterson, Lily Tadlock, and Brooklyn Koll finished fourth with a time of 4:21.66.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Boys 1600 Meter Sprint Medley team of Kian Clapp, Levi Davelaar, Brant Wassenaar, and Alex Oberloh finished fifth with a time of 3:40.63.
- Harrisburg’s Boys 1600 Meter Sprint Medley team of Beau Karst, Jagger Lombard, Tytan Tryon, and Griffin Smith finished second with a time of 3:37.91.
- Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Boys 1600 Meter Sprint Medley team of Javin Augustus, Liam Van Roekel, Griffin Fischer, Tyrus Needles finished third with a time of 3:39.58.
- Sioux Falls Washington’s Boys 1600 Meter Sprint Medley team of Javon Haukaas, Ethan Rave, Carter Akkerman, and Mohamed Muse finished fourth with a time of 3:40.36.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Ana Vyn placed second in the Girls 400m and set the second-highest mark in Class A with a 57.78 time.
- Sioux Falls Washington’s Nyariek Kur placed third in the Girls 100m hurdles with a 15.09 time.
- Harrisburg’s Tate Larson placed third in the Boys 110m hurdles, setting a personal record and the second-best mark in Class AA with a 14.73 time.
- Harrisburg’s Clay Sonnenschein placed fifth in the Boys 110m hurdles with a 14.82 time.
- Lincoln’s Javin Augustus placed fifth in the Boys 100m with a time of 10.97.
- Harrisburg’s Lydia Van Stedum finished second in the Special Olympics Girls 100m with a 20.08 time.
- O’Gorman’s Libby Castelli set a new top mark in AA in the Girls 1600m with a 4:54.60 time.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Girls 4x100m team of Sydney Schaap, Katie VanderLeest, Ashlee VanDriesen, and Mya VanDonge finished second in the Class A competition with a time of 49.97.
- Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Girls 4x100m team of Ellen Merkley, Faith Kpeayeh, Ella Termaat, and Linnea Nesheim placed first and set a new high mark in Class AA with a 49.18 time.
- West Central’s Boys 4x100m team of Preston Butts, Ben Vuong, Patrick Hammond, and Layton Johnson set the fourth-highest mark in Class A with a 44.75 time and placed fifth.
- Sioux Falls Lincoln Boys 4x100m team of Javin Augustus, Josh Myers, Mikey Roche, and Griffin Fischer placed second and set the best mark in Class AA with a 42.24 time.
- Sioux Falls Jefferson Boys Unified 4x100m team of Jack Wagoner, Luke Determan, Kieran Weigelt, and Joseph Tongyik broke a school record and placed third with a 1:04.42 time.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Girls 4x400m team of Savaeh Sichmeller, Halle Braun, Corinne Braun, and Anna Vyn placed first, set a meet record, and the new top mark in Class A with a 4:00.58 time.
- Lennox’s Girls 4x400m team of Bergan Musser, Jayla DeCou, Tori Gerdes, and Karlie Bosma placed third and set the second-best mark in Class A with a 4:08.44 time.
- Brandon Valley’s Girls 4x400m team of Addison Scholten, Kyra Weiss, Sarah VanDeBerg, and Madison Pederson placed first and set the best mark in Class AA with a 3:57.78 time.
- Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Girls 4x400m team of Faith Peterson, Brooklyn Koll, Emily Schuck, and Lily Tadlock placed third and set the fourth-best mark in Class AA with a 4:08.32 time.
- West Central’s Boys 4x400m team of Patrick Hammond, Elliot DeJong, Rylee Hartung, and Jude Jarding placed first and set the best mark in Class A with a 3:29.66 time.
- Sioux Falls Christian’s Boys 4x400m team of Kian Clapp, Brant Wassenaar, Alex Oberloh, and Bennett Wassenaar placed third with a 3:30.56 time.
- Lennox’s Boys 4x400m team of Drake Mikkelsen, Cloy McVey, Noah Sayler, and Cade Sherard placed fifth with a 3:33.95 time.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at@JFERN31
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing
12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing
17-26-31-32-37, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from July 8 drawing
07-11-18-31-33
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing
16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
LARCHWOOD, Iowa (KIWA) – A Tea, South Dakota man has been arrested on a felony domestic abuse charge after an incident near Larchwood.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Lyon County Clerk of Court’s Office by the Iowa State Patrol, 45-year-old Beau Christensen of Tea is accused of assaulting his girlfriend in their hotel room at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort near Larchwood. He was arrested on Wednesday, July 8.
In his statement, the state trooper who filed the report says Christensen put his hands around the victim’s neck. The victim stated she could not breathe while this was happening.
Christensen was charged with domestic abuse assault – impeding air or blood flow, a class D felony. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.
He faces a preliminary hearing on Friday, July 10.
At last report, Christensen remained in the Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids in lieu of a $6000 bond.
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BROOKINGS, S.D. – Instead of boarding airplanes or planning weeklong vacations, many South Dakota families are spending summer weekends closer to home, filling festivals, community events and family attractions that offer affordable ways to make memories together.
That trend is showing up across the state, according to South Dakota tourism officials. And organizers of many local events say they’ve watched it evolve over decades.
“We did re-coin that term ‘staycation’ again this year,” said Shari Budahl Avery, publicity chair for the 55-year-old Brookings Summer Arts Festival. “If things are a little tight but you want to get away for a day, we can provide that experience.”
Families are redefining summer travel
Travel South Dakota has reported that many travelers are choosing more affordable destinations, taking shorter trips and staying closer to home because of continued economic uncertainty. The department said South Dakota is well positioned because many visitors already travel by car from nearby states.
According to the department, 58% of visitors travel within 150 miles of home, and affordability, scenic beauty and family experiences remain among the state’s strongest attractions.
Travel South Dakota reports that visitors rate the state highly for affordability and family experiences, with 87% saying they would recommend South Dakota to others and 90% planning to return.
Shawn Steward, public affairs manager for AAA South Dakota, said travelers look for ways to make summer vacations fit their finances rather than canceling them altogether.
“People still want to travel,” Steward said in an interview with South Dakota News Watch. “They’re just making different choices.”
Steward said many families are adjusting by taking shorter trips, traveling by car instead of flying or choosing destinations closer to home, trends that align with what tourism officials and local event organizers are seeing across South Dakota.
Local events become summer destinations
Budahl Avery said those statewide trends match what festival organizers have observed for years.
“We’re kind of dead center in a pretty good population center,” she said. “People can come on what one friend from Texas called a ‘tank trip’ – somewhere you can drive on one tank of gas and get home.”
The two-day festival features about 178 juried artists, live entertainment, children’s activities, food vendors and historical demonstrations. Budahl Avery said the goal is to create an experience where multiple generations can spend time together without needing an expensive vacation.
Affordable, convenient entertainment
During a recent stop in Brookings, the Cardin International Circus drew families from across the region. Ringmaster and comedian Rulito Videla said attendance varies from city to city, but he believes many families are looking for affordable experiences closer to home.
“If they are staying home, support your local events,” Videla said. “The circus is family-oriented entertainment. You create memories.”
Visitors interviewed in Brookings described making similar choices.
Erica Quam said her family often prefers several smaller outings over one major vacation.
“We live right near Brookings,” Quam said. “It’s close, there were some coupons that made it more affordable, and it’s just a fun, easy activity.”
Sienna Vanmeveren also chose to stay closer to home this summer to save money.
“It’s easier than traveling somewhere,” she said, adding that she would likely travel more if finances allowed.
Not every family is changing its travel habits.
Sviatlana Senchanka said her family recently completed a road trip from South Dakota to California and continues to spend time outdoors at local lakes. She said work schedules determine when her family travels more than travel costs.
For Budahl Avery, however, the value of community events extends beyond economics.
“What keeps families coming back?” she said. “Tradition. Joy. Making memories.”
Whether families travel across the country or simply across town, organizers and visitors alike say a memorable summer doesn’t always require going far from home.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, subscribe for free and donate at sdnewswatch.org. Amina Aidarkhanova received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. Contact: amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org.
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