By Rich Winter

605 Sports

The weather this spring has been uncooperative for track and field so far but a number of athletes were able to compete in Thursday’s Vermillion Booster Club Invitational.

A number of performances, particularly in the distance events, suggests track fans will see some elite performances coming from southeastern South Dakota. 

3,200 meter run:

Boys: Elk Point-Jefferson junior Joe Cross cranked out an impressive 3,200 meter run Thursday with a winning time of 9:50.78. Cross is coming off a ninth place finish in the 2022 Class A state cross country meet and was fourth in 3,200 at last year’s Class A state track meet (9:53). 

• Dakota Valley sophomore Jack Brown ran a 10:15.65

• West Central junior Benjamin Strunk ran a 10:22.46

Girls: One of the best races Thursday was the girls 3,200 meter run where three seventh graders cranked out impressive times. Milbank seventh grader Bianca Berry won the race (12:16.41) and was followed closely to the line by a pair of Dakota Valley seventh graders Ella Otten (12:17.40) and Alex McCullough (12:17.43)

3,200 meter relay: It always seems like Vermillion puts out solid 3,200 meter relay teams and it looks like 2023 will be no exception. The boys and girls 3,200 meter relay teams were both third at last year’s state track meet

• On Thursday the team of Henry Anderson, Joel Dahloff, Jack Freeburg and Hunter Moore cranked out an impressive early season time of 8:29.56

• On Thursday the team of Lydia Anderson, Callie Radigan, Jenaya Cleveland and Taeli Barta ran a 10:12.83

1,600 meter run: 

Boys: Beresford junior Andrew Atwood looks to be in good shape early this season. Atwood was 11th in the 1,600 meter run at the 2022 state track meet (4:37.77). In Vermillion Thursday Atwood ran a 4:33.47 to win the race. In the same race Lennox freshman Cloy McVey clocked a 4:39.24 to finish second. 

Girls: Dakota Valley sophomore Sophia Redler won the race with a good time of 5:27.63. An impressive feat for Dakota Valley seventh grader who finished second with a 5:36.00.

800 meter run: 

Boys: Dakota Valley senior Avery Bradshaw finished second in the 800 meter run (2:01.09). That is an extremely fast opener for a guy that finished 14th in the 2022 Class A state track meet (2:04.69).

Girls: After winning the 1,600 meter run earlier in the day Dakota Valley’s Sophia Redler came back to win the 800 meter run (2:23.25). Redler finished 15th at the Class A state track meet (2:25.83).