By Rich Winter

605 Sports

GREGORY —  It is pretty amazing to seek the tinkering that goes into the development of a  track team, especially with the smaller Class B schools. A year ago Gregory track coach Kurt Stukel maximized team points to perfection as the Gorillas eked out a tie with Ipswich to earn a tie for the Class B state title.

As we head to mid-May and the Howard Wood Dakota Relays there is more tinkering going on in Gregory County.

Senior Daniel Mitchell is the defending Class B state champion in the high jump and has the top mark so far this spring (6-05). Gorilla sophomore Colt Keiser cleared (6-03) at the Cecil Johnson Invitational on Thursday and has the second best leap in Class B this season. If the Gorilla jumpers could piece together 18 points from this event at the state meet, that’s a pretty good start.

Gregory doesn’t have the outstanding individual like they did last year with Kade Stuerkel but younger brother Luke Stukel is emerging and the Gorillas are starting to piece together some very competitive relays. 

400-meter relay: The Gorillas quartet of Noah Bearshield, Daniel Mitchell, Paul Sinclair and Luke Stukel cranked out a (:45.32) last week, the second fastest Class B time behind Ipswich (:45.00). 

1,600-meter relay: The Gorillas posted a time of (3:34.20) on April 9. That is the No. 2 mark in Class B this spring, trailing only Deubrook Area (3:30.23). 

Sprint Medley Relay: On April 20, Gregory posted a time of 3:47.55. That is the No. 3 time in Class B this season, trailing only Deubrook Area (3:46.15) and Wolsey-Wessington (3:46.79).

You can’t have a great medley team without a great anchor and junior Finn Adams has become the rock star on that medley team but also has Class B’s second fastest time in the 1,600-meter run (4:41.50).

The javelin is a new event for Class B this season and Gregory has two throwers in Class B’s top-six. Junior Rane Kenzy (152-10) has the third best throw and Rylan Peck has the sixth farthest throw (147-08). 

Stay tuned.

Youth movement for Lennox girls led by Bergan Musser

It took Lennox track coach Jared Vlastiun all of one practice to confirm the rumors that Bergan Musser was really fast. As we head to the Howard Wood Dakota Relays this weekend, track fans will get their first look at a seventh-grade athlete that could be dazzling us for the next five seasons.

100-meter dash: Musser has Class A’s fourth-fastest Class A time this spring (:12.58).

200-meter dash: Has Class A’s fastest time (:25.51). 

Vlastuin says that Musser has very long legs and a very long stride. He feels like her best event could blossom into the 400-meter dash. While she hasn’t contested an open 400-meter run yet this season, she was on the 1,600-meter relay team that blistered the track last week.

1,600-meter relay: While Musser has yet to run an open dash the Oriole quartet of Musser, seventh-grader Tori Glades, eighth-grader Jayla DeCou and ninth-grader Karlie Bosma blasted a 4:08.44, the second-fastest Class A time this season. 

Musser is also a long jumper that has jumped over 17-feet several times this season.

Lennox already has Class A’s fourth fastest Class A time in the sprint medley relay (4:26.17).Anchor Kelsey Schmidt, who cranked out a 4:21.79 in the 1,600-meter run at last week’s Dakota Valley relays is rounding into shape. If the Orioles contest that race at Howard Wood look for a much faster time and near the top of the Class A field.