Rangers have a strong start to the 2025 track season

The Hill City Ranger track and field team had great weather for the first track meet of the 2025 season held in Newcastle, Wyo., last Thursday.

“Great day for track and field—75 degrees and no wind in Newcastle,” said head coach Joe Noyes. “The kids took advantage of it. That’s always what we kind of tell them. When you get a good day, just make the most of it because sometimes this time of year, those are few and far between.”

On the girls side, the team is missing their leading point scorer from last year, Alaina Dean, who is out for the season with an injury she incurred during the basketball season. 

“She’s not able to compete this year,” said Noyes. “So we’re just kind of finding our new identity. We had some ladies show up and have a really good day competing. 

“Joy Anderson, our senior, seemed to do really well. She was right about where she was a year ago at this meet. So times just about the exact same. When you are ahead of where you were a year ago, that’s a great spot to be in.”

Anderson, along with Demi Schrier, Macie Ham, and Addysen Kurtz, took a second place finish in the 400 relay with a time of 55.22. Maren Sobolik, Ashley Ronning, Katelyn Dean and Lillie Ham also placed in the event with a 56.65 fourth place finish. 

Anderson also finished seventh in the 100 meter with a 14.26.

New to the track program this year are transfers Daril and Andee Frandsen competing in the hurdles and distance. A. Frandsen placed at state last year in class B and should be a good addition to the team, Noyes said. 

“She had a really good first race in the 300 hurdles. She got third, but I’m really encouraged about her potential as a runner,” said Noyes. A. Frandsen also placed fifth in the 200 meter.

Hill City took five of the top eight places in the girls 800 meter. Rarity Cournoyer (2:27.71), D. Frandsen (2:30.81) and Aspen Veneklasen (2:38.98) took first, second and third with Jaelyn Peters coming in fifth and Aliyah Peters in seventh. Cournoyer and D. Frandsen’s times were new personal records (PR). 

Cournoyer and D. Frandsen, again in the 1600 meter race, finished back-to-back with first and second place finishes with both setting another new PR with times of 2:27.71 and 2:30.81. Veneklasen came in fourth with a time of 2:38.98, J. Peters sixth with a 6:24.11 and A. Peters in eighth with a 6:31.50, also a PR. 

Frandsen also finished fifth in the 200 meter for the day with a new PR of 28.13.

Ronning and Lillie Ham found themselves in a three-way tie with Arvada Clearmont’s (Wyo.) Dellana Michelena for first in the high jump with a jump of 4-9. Ronning also placed fifth in the 400 meter for the day. 

Hill City’s Katelyn Dean finished fourth in the long jump with a jump of 14-08.50.

The boys had a good showing as well with some first-place finishes and new PRs.

“The boys’ side had some really good early sprints,” said Noyes. “A couple of our boys who don’t do basketball, Caleb Sobolik, he won the 100 and 200 and then his teammate Mason Wiese was third in the 100 and second in the 200.”

Both 200 meter times were new PRs. Aidan Voorhees also had an eighth place finish in the 200. 

Sobolik and Wiese were also part of the winning 1600 relay team along with Tate Grabow and Alec Gavin with a time of 3:35.57. 

“What was impressive there is our time. We were within two seconds of our best time last year and this was with only one of the boys that was on that relay last year, which was Tate,” said Noyes. “To have that 1600 running the well this early is a really good sign of where the potential is.”

Grabow also sealed a first place win in the 800 with a PR of 1:57.75 and James Dubios also set a new PR with his second place finish with a time of 2:13.79. Grabow won the event by 16 seconds and is trying to qualify for the special 800 at Howard Wood Dakota Relays in May. 

“That’s kind of the premier meet in South Dakota before the state meet. Every other year they do a special 800 and special 200 and they just alternate genders each year,” said Noyes. “We’re like, ‘You’re going to have to come out firing,’ and he did. He definitely did. I mean, he ran a four second PR which is big in the 800.”

Brandon Escalante is also a candidate for the special race in which athletes are selected from coach submitted nominations. Escalante had the second fastest time in South Dakota last year in the 800. 

“I put in entries for both. We’ll see where Brandon is at. He’s coming back from little bit of a foot injury, so we’ll kind of keep an eye on him and see where he’s at before the deadline,” said Noyes. “A whole bunch of other things went well. Andreas Hernandez got fifth in discus, and he threw a PR of 107-4. So that was awesome. First meet of the year to come out and set your personal best and place. Very cool,” said Noyes.

Dubois placed fourth in the 1600 meter with a time of 5:13.66 and Alan Harvey placed second in the 300  hurdles with a new PR of 49.40.

Voorhees, Kurtz, Harvey and Jerrad Hislop ran the 400 relay and placed third with a time of 47.38. Also placing, taking sixth were Galvin, Logan Street, Valentin Flores and Ryker Brown with a time of 50.85.

Brensen Veneklasen set a new PR and placed first in the long jump with a 20-0 3/4 jump while Nick Schroeder placed fourth in the triple jump with a 39-1 3/4

The Ranger girls took second overall at the meet and the boys took third as a team. 

“This is the best team I’ve coached, sprints to distance, to field events,” said Noyes. “We’ve got a pretty special group this year. It’s just getting it to all come together and stay healthy.”

The Rangers will compete again at Douglas for the Early Bird Classic April 4, weather permitting.