By Rich Winter

605 Sports

605 SPORTS —- Deuel’s Oliver Fieber was noticeably absent from the 2024 state track meet. 

Fieber burst onto the South Dakota track and field scene as a freshman finishing fourth in the Class A 100-meter dash (:11.04) and qualifying for the state meet in the 200-meter dash. 

An injury sidelined Fieber late in his sophomore season. 

“Last year during our conference meet he slipped in the blocks and tore up his knee,” Brian Tvedt, Deuel track coach said. 

Fieber somehow managed to finish the race but that was the end of his sophomore season. 

“He had to have reconstructive surgery and missed the football season and got off to a slow start in track practice this spring,” Tvedt said. “I remember watching the start of that race and he just piled up at the end. It was a freak thing and you never think you are going to rip up your knee in the starting blocks.” 

Fieber opened his 2025 season with a :10.82 at the Estelline Sno Bird meet on April 10, turning back the charge of Hamlin’s Zac VanMeeteren (:10.93).

At the Pork Chop Relays on April 15, Fieber won the 100-meter dash (:10.93) the 200-meter dash (:22.48) and ran a leg on the winning 400-meter relay (:44.73). 

At the Kiwanis Relays on April 22, Fieber won the 100-meter dash (:11.06) and teamed with Axel Gallardo, Gavin Kloos and Gabe Sather to set a school record in the 400-meter relay (:44.16). At that same meet Fieber, Gallardo and Kloos, along with Caleb Ronne won the 800-meter relay in a school record time of (1:31.91). 

At Saturday’s Flandreau Invitational Fieber matched his season best time in winning the 100-meter dash (:10.82). Fieber also won the 200-meter dash (:21.93) and ran on another school record 400-meter relay team (:44.04). 

“We haven’t done four events yet,” Tvedt said. “His times are pretty good and his confidence level is starting to come back.” 

Fieber is slated to run the 100-meter dash and compete in the 400-meter relay and 800-meter relay at this weekend’s Howard Wood Dakota Relays. Deuel currently has the fourth fastest Class A time in the 400-meter relay (:44.04) and the second fastest Class A time in the 800-meter relay (1:31.91). 

“It has been a process,” Tvedt said. “I talk to him and ask him how he’s feeling and then we kind of decide where to go from there.” 

Another Deuel senior to watch this weekend is hurdler Gabe Sather. In the 110-meter hurdles Sather has the second fastest Class A time (:15.00) and the eighth fastest Class A time in the 300-meter hurdles (:42.02).