’Cats compete in Sioux Falls

By: 
Jason Ferguson

It was a weekend of stiff competition for the Custer High School track team last week as the team made the trek east to Sioux Falls to compete in both the Sioux Falls O’Gorman Invitational and the Howard Wood Dakota Relays on Friday and Saturday.
“It turned into a pretty good weekend for us,” head coach Karen Karim said. “We saw where we are in a lot of things and we had some kids step up and have some great performances.”
Blake Boyster had the best finish at the O’Gorman meet, as the sophomore sprinter placed second in the 100 at a time of 11.24 seconds. The other individual placewinner for the Wildcats at the meet was Jace Kelley, who set a personal record when he cleared a best height of 5-8 on the high jump, which was good for a tie for fifth place.
Three relay teams placed for the boys at the meet. The medley team of Sterling Sword, Tony Plaisted, Jackson Drew and Pierce Sword finished third at a time of 4:07.63, while the 800 team of Sterling Sword, Plaisted, Sam Gaulke and Nolan Saufley placed sixth at a time of 1:41.08. The 3200 team of Gaulke, Drew, Pierce Sword and Preston Drew was also sixth at a time of 9:06.34.
The Wildcat girls were led by pole vaulter Josey Wahlstrom at the O’Gorman meet, who cleared 9-0 on her way to a second-place finish. Wahlstrom was the only individual placewinner for the Wildcats at the meet.
Three relay teams placed, however, led by the medley team of Goldie Whitaker, Emma Helfer, Shayleigh Forgey and Wahlstrom, which placed second at at ime of 4:56.97.
The 800 relay team placed fifth, as the team of Shaylee Gramkow, Rachel Miklos, Sydney Gaulke and Jordyn Larsen ran a time of 1:57.64, while the 400 team of Whitaker, Wahlstrom, Miklos and Anna Lewis was seventh at 55.02.
Four relay teams placed for the Wildcats at Howard Wood, led by the 3200 team of Gage Grohs, Kaleb Wragge, Alex Van Horn and Miles Ellman, which finished in third at 8:36.53. Three Wildcat teams placed fourth—the 400 team of Daniel Sedlacek, Gage Tennyson, Boyster and Saufley at 45.06, the 800 team of Sedlacek, Tennyson, Boyster and Jace Kelley at 1:33.98 and the 1600 team of Boyster, Kelley, Ellman and Mikael Grace at 3:34.16.
Kellyn Kortemeyer had a strong day at Howard Wood, as she set a personal record in the shot put on her way to first place in the event, with a top throw of 45-7 1/4. Kortemeyer also placed third in the discus with a best throw of 131-9.
“Kellyn’s shot put was fabulous,” Karim said. “Her third place in discus was a big positive for her.”
Three relay teams placed for the ’Cats as well. The 3200 team of Eva Studt, Brit Wheeler, Ramsey Karim and Kadense Dooley finished second at 9:57.58, while the medley team of Gramkow, Gaulke, Larsen and Karim was fourth at 4:25.5.0 The 1600 team of Larsen, Mikos, Karim and Studt was the final team to place, taking seventh at 4:18.23.
Karim said relay teams continue to have splits that are dropping, despite some shaky handoffs and even a dropped baton in the girls 800 relay.
“There were disappointments. As with any track meet you have your ups and downs,” she said.
The Wildcats also had to deal with searing heat after having run all of their track meets to this point in cold weather. By the afternoon of Howard Wood the thermometer read 92 degrees.
The Wildcats are in for a busy week as the regular season hits the home stretch, as some team members competed in yesterday’s meet hosted by Rapid City Christian, while some will head to the Sturgis Classic Saturday and those who don’t compete in Sturgis head to the Last Chance Qualifer Meet next Tuesday at O’Hare Stadium on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City. The Sturgis meet begins at 9 a.m., while the Last Chance Qualifer is set for a 1 p.m. start.

 

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