South Dakota

The athletes to watch at the South Dakota state track meet in Sioux Falls

Published

6 months ago

May 22, 2024

The athletes to watch at the South Dakota state track meet in Sioux Falls

SIOUX FALLS — The 2024 South Dakota State High School Track and Field Championships run Thursday through Saturday at Howard Wood Field.

Events kick off at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday with the final event (the boys’ 1,600-meter relay) slated for 2:40 p.m. on Saturday.

Below, here’s at least 20 reasons (athletes/relay teams) for area fans to keep an eye on this weekend.

Halle Bauer, Great Plains Lutheran

The Panther standout and South Dakota State University recruit missed her senior season of cross country because of an injury but returned this spring and did qualify for six events. She’s slated to run the Class A 400-meter dash and 1,600-meter run and also seems likely to be used in GPL’s medley and 1,600 relays.

Bauer has placed in at least five individual events at state meets during her career.

Malia Kranz, Watertown

The Arrow sophomore heads into the state meet with the top throw in the Class AA girls’ discus (139-3) and the third-best throw in the shot put.

She took sixth in the shot put last year and broke Watertown’s school record with a toss of 43 feet, 8 inches at an indoor meet earlier this spring.

David VanVeen, Aberdeen Central

The Golden Eagle senior has come on strong this spring and enters the state meet with the second-best time in the Class AA boys’ 1,600-meter run and sixth-best in the 3,200.

Chloe Raw, Arlington

The junior speedster finished second in both the Class B girls’ 100- and 200-meter dashes last spring and has recorded the best times in both the 100 (12.03) and 200 (24.86) heading into the state meet.

Ella Boekelheide, Northwestern

Who knows how many events the sophomore standout could run if she wasn’t limited to four. She’s slated to run the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 runs in Class B girls division this weekend. She has the top time in the 800 (2:05.07), second-best times in both the 1,600 and 3,200 and fourth-best in the 400.

Her track record at state includes wins the 1,600 and 3,200 along with a fifth-place finish in the 800 in 2022 and runner-up finishes in all three races in 2023.

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Ciara Frank, Aberdeen Central

The senior is a two-time state Class AA place winner in the high jump (second in 2023 and sixth in 2022) and also finished third in the long jump last spring.

She enters the state meet No. 3 in the high jump and No. 4 in the long jump.

Owen Spartz, Watertown

The University of South Dakota recruit is looking to become the first Arrow boys’ pole vaulter to win three state titles in the event, but has spent most of the spring behind fellow USD recruit Beau Karst of Harrisburg, the new state record-holder in the event (16-3).

Keep a look out for more on Spartz in a feature story slated to come out Thursday.

Owen Fieber, Deuel & Zac VanMeeteren, Hamlin

Fieber, a junior, took fourth in the Class A boys’ 100-meter dash last spring and enters the state meet with the second-best 100 and eighth-best 200. He has been out with an injury, but is listed among the state entrants.

VanMeeteren, another junior, has stepped up during Fieber’s absence and has the second-best 200 and fourth-best 100 and 400 times among the state entrants. VanMeeteren’s teammate Luke Fraser, a senior, has ran the sixth-best time in the 400.

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Isabelle Bloker, Sioux Valley

Bloker has placed in both the Class A girls’ 1,600- and 3,200-meter run at state each of the past two years, including victories in both races in 2023.

She enters state with the best 3,200 time (10:34.25) and second-best 1,600.

Kaleb Foltz, Tri-State

Like Boekelheide, Foltz is a distance standout who is also becoming more of a sprinter. He placed fourth in the Class A boys’ 800, fifth in the 400 and sixth in the 1,600 in the 2023 state meet. He won the 800 and 1,600 and also placed in both events in Class B in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

He’s currently No. 1 in the 800 (1:52.24), third in the 400 and seventh in the 1,600.

Deubrook Area Relays

The Dolphins are back in Class B where they’ve had success, including three-straight state Class B girls division championships from 2017-19.

Deubrook Area’s girls enter the state meet with the top time in the medley (4:22.25) and third-best time the 3,200. The Dolphin boys have the third-best 800 time and top times in the 1,600 (3:29.9), 3,200 (8;14.39) and medley (3:41.46).

Ipswich Pole Vaulters

The Tigers have the top Class B vaulters in boys (junior Rasmus Loken, 13-0) and girls (freshman Jalyssa Hutson, 10-6). Loken took third and Hutson second in last year’s state meet.

Sophomore Marley Guthmiller has placed third in the girls each of the past two years and enters state at No. 3. Sophomore Brody Davis (fifth) is also a returning state place winner for the boys.

Payton Brown & James Batchelor, Milbank

Here’s two talented senior distance runners for the Bulldogs. Brown has run the third-best times in both the boys’ 800 and 1,600 runs. Teammate James Batchelor has the fourth-best 1,600.

They could also factor in on the Bulldog relay teams that currently are second in the medley and third in the 3,200.

Boaz Raderschadt, Watertown

The senior University of North Dakota recruit is one of limited group of Watertown athletes who could win a state title. He enters state wth the second-best throw in the throw in the Class AA shot put and fourth-best in the discus. He finished seventh in the shot put last spring.

Cristhian Rodriguez, Matthew Mount, Robert Begalka & Dustin Wurtz

Here’s four more boys’ throwers to keep an eye on. Rodriguez, a senior from Hamlin, has the top throw in the Class A javelin (169-2) and third-best in the discus. Mount, a sophomore from Webster Area, is fifth in the shot put and sixth in the discus and Begalka, a senior from Deuel, fourth in the shot and seventh in the discus. Mount placed fifth in the shot put and Begalka sixth in the discus in 2023.

Wurtz, a junior from Leola, finished second in the Class B discus and sixth in the shot put at last spring and has the third-best throw in the shot put and fifth-best in the discus so far this spring.

Shawnteah La Croix, Aberdeen Christian

The sophomore sprinter has placed in the Class B girls’ 100 and 200 dashes at each of the last two state meets and and has used that speed to become successful in another event this spring. She enters the state meet No. 2 in the long jump and No. 3 in both the 100 and 200.

Lincoln Woodring, Northwestern

A runner-up in the Class B 800 and a sixth-place finishers in the 1,600 last spring, the junior has the best time in the field in the 800 (1:57.47) and fifth-best time in the 1,600. He also should anchor Northwestern’s No. 2 medley relay.

Emmett Hanson, Milbank

Acccording to numbers, the junior is the cream of the crop for area hurdlers. He heads to the state meet with the thrid-best Class A time in the 300s and the fourth-best in the 100s.

Ipswich (boys) & Potter County (girls) Relays

Ipswich has the fastest times this spring in both the Class B boys’ 400 (44.11) and 800 relays (1:31.3).

Potter County’s girls have the fastest Class B time in the 1,600 (4:08.64), second-fastest in the 3,200 and fourth-fastest in the medley.

Trevor Heinz, Ipswich & Spencer Melius, Faulkton Area

These two area athletes also head to the state meet the top distances in Class B boys’ field events.

Heinz, a senior, is No. 1 in the long jump (22-6.5) and Melius, a sophomore, No. 1 in the javelin (170-0).

State Track Meet Schedule: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sdhsaa.com/Athletics/TF-MeetSchedule.pdf

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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South Dakota

Cluff’s 14 help South Dakota State down Mount Marty 89-41

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6 hours ago

November 19, 2024

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Cluff’s 14 help South Dakota State down Mount Marty 89-41 | DRGNews

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South Dakota

‘Birdie or Better’ campaign raises $25k for Feeding South Dakota

Published

15 hours ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

‘Birdie or Better’ campaign raises k for Feeding South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – SAM Nutrition is taking a swing at hunger and presented a $25,000 donation to Feeding South Dakota on Monday.

The generous contribution comes from SAM Nutrition’s Birdie or Better Campaign, which is a six-month initiative designed to raise funds through every birdie, eagle or albatross made by sponsored golfer Sam Bennett.

Around 400 birdies were recorded during this stretch.

“Yeah, it’s cool. SAM Nutrition has been a good sponsor for me, treating me well and supporting me on and off the course. And it’s just nice, you know, giving back to a charity when I am on the course making a birdie or eagle, being able to help out and feed families in South Dakota,” said Bennett.

Feeding South Dakota adds that this campaign is more than a charity; it’s a commitment to helping communities by promoting both nutrition and wellness.

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South Dakota

Local government cybersecurity program moves forward with administrative hire • South Dakota Searchlight

Published

22 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

Local government cybersecurity program moves forward with administrative hire • South Dakota Searchlight

Michael Waldner, of Madison, will lead the effort to establish the state’s local government cybersecurity grant program, Dakota State University announced in a news release Monday.

The Municipal Cybersecurity Grant Program, under the Attorney General’s Office and in partnership with the university, aims to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure for South Dakota local governments.

Michael Waldner will serve as the director of the Municipal Cybersecurity Grant Program. (Courtesy of Dakota State University)

Even though the program’s name focuses on municipalities, it’s open to cities and counties. The program will provide “secure email solutions, technical support, risk assessments, and specialized training,” based on the news release.

The Legislature approved $7 million in funding for the program last winter as a response to mounting cybersecurity concerns among city and county governments. Many lack proper training and equipment to defend themselves and the taxpayer money and information they’re entrusted with.

Waldner previously directed South Dakota’s centralized education email system, which is what lawmakers hoped to model the program after. Waldner held the role for nine years before leaving in 2008. He also served as project manager for FirstNet, the network used by law enforcement in the state. Most recently, he served as coordinator for the ConnectSD Broadband initiative, which aims to expand internet access statewide.

The need for a centralized local government email system has grown in recent years as local governments become larger targets for cybersecurity attacks.

Brown County suffered a cyberattack in 2021 affecting services, and the city of Sioux Falls sent two electronic payments to someone impersonating a vendor in 2018. Hutchinson County was hit by a ransomware attack in 2019, which temporarily shut down accounts that contained receipts and records for $4 million in county business, according to the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan.

State spends over $100,000 each year bolstering local governments’ cybersecurity

“This program is an important step toward making South Dakota a model of cybersecurity for the nation,” Attorney General Marty Jackley said in the news release.

State and local governments experienced 148% more malware attacks and 51% more ransomware incidents during the first eight months of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022, according to a Center for Internet Security report.

The 2024 report on ransomware in state and local government identified a 51% drop in ransomware attacks, which is attributed to fewer governments paying ransoms, making them less attractive targets to cybercriminals. But when the attacks are successful, they’re growing more costly to local governments.

The state effort is a four year program, set to end during the summer of 2028, according to the university. An advisory council including representatives from state, local and federal government departments and agencies, as well as cybersecurity organizations in the state, will provide assistance.

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