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High school track & field: The winners are coming

Numerous state champions coming to Rapid City Track-O-Rama today.

By Padraic Duffy, Journal staff Monday, April 14, 2008

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RAPID CITY — The idea of getting out on the track under sunny skies and warm temperatures is enough to have even the most lukewarm track and field fan excited about the action at today’s Rapid City Track-O-Rama.

“It will be pretty awesome,” Rapid City Central head coach Dave Dolan said of temperatures expected to be in the low to mid 70s. “We’re hoping for a good day. The good thing is we get to go out and compete and see where we stand head-to-head in some of these events.”

The event lost a couple of teams because of its postponement from Saturday to today, but the overall power of the 10 remaining teams should provide area fans with plenty to talk about.

The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at O’Harra Stadium on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

The meet boasts the defending state girls team champion in the biggest class of schools in both South Dakota and Wyoming with both Rapid City Stevens and Campbell County (Gillette) scheduled to compete.

“When you talk about bringing in those three Wyoming teams (Campbell County, Casper Kelly Walsh and Casper Natrona) the level of the meet really goes up,” Stevens head coach Paul Hendry said.

The two-time defending girls team champion in Class A in South Dakota, St. Thomas More, will also be in the field in addition to Central and its record-breaker-in-waiting, Jasmyne King.

One of the intriguing individual match-ups that could materialize will be Campbell County junior Emily Moore squaring off against King, a sophomore.

Moore is the defending state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and both the long and triple jumps in Wyoming’s Class 4A. King won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes in addition to the long jump at the South Dakota Class AA championships as a freshman.

Rapid City Stevens thrower Brooke Garner and Casper Natrona’s Baillie Gibson should also be a match-up worth keeping a steady eye on.

Casper Kelly Walsh hurdler Jordan Merback, Wyoming’s defending state champion in the 100-meter hurdles, should also challenge Stevens’ Emily DeVries and Central’s Anna Gagliano in what looks to be a great race.

The boys’ side of the meet shouldn’t be any less entertaining, as Pierre brings its defending state Class AA championship team west.

The monster point-scoring trio of Jarrett Klinger (sprints), Matt Tetzlaff (hurdles) and Travis Fitzke (distance) is back for another run at a state title this season.

“They’re the heavy favorite going into the season to win the state boys’ title,” Dolan said of the Governors. “They’ve been a dominant force over the past few years and are very strong again.”

The boys 800-meter run also looks like it could shape up to be a great event, with Fitzke and teammate Alex Epseland, Central’s Mike Krsnak and Levi Franz, Stevens’ Tyler Niederwerder and Sturgis’ Damien Schuster all potentially racing.

Teams that will be participating today are Rapid City Central, Rapid City Stevens, Spearfish, Sturgis, St. Thomas More, Douglas, Pierre, Campbell County (Gillette), Casper Kelly Walsh and Casper Natrona.

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