By Rich Winter

605 Sports

SIOUX FALLS — With the Class B girls team race wide open this year, Burke high jumper Emily Diekmann gave her team a boost Friday winning the Class B high jump (5-2).

Diekmann and White River’s Maleena Brave both cleared 5-2 during the competition. After both athletes were unable to clear 5-3, the bar was lowered to 5-2 for a jump-off. Diekman cleared on her first attempt and after Brave missed the Burke eighth-grader celebrated the moment.

“Before that last jump I said a little prayer because I really wanted to clear it,” Diekman said.

A week before the competition Diekmann wasn’t sure how she would fare after dealing with some technique issues. 

“Last week I kept kicking off the bar with my legs,” she said. “It happened today on one of my jumps and someone yelled at me to get off the mat quickly.”

The state championship was a bit of a surprise and Diekmann said she came into the meet with no expectations. 

“All I really wanted to do was beat my No. 5 seed,” she said. “I knew Brave could jump 5-3 so that did put a little pressure on me.” 

Diekmann’s state title gave her team 10 points and Diekmann said she couldn’t help but think about team points as the high jump competition progressed.

“I was really thinking about that because we are trying to vie for a state championship,” she said. 

Diekmann’s title comes one day after Burke’s Iker Diaz Montilla won the Class B triple jump (43-11.75). Diekmann gave some  of that credit to coach Tanner Serr who came to Burke and is now assisting with the track program.