By Rich Winter

605 Sports

If Friday’s Watertown girls tournament is any indication, Pierre and Canton are once again the top girls teams in South Dakota. At Friday’s meet the Governors won the title with 205 points, ahead of Canton (190) and Aberdeen Central (129.5). 

The Pierre girls are the three-time defending state champion and won the 2024 title with 167 points, ahead of Canton (134.5) and Harrisburg (72). Aberdeen Central (71) and Lakota Tech (64) rounded out the top-five teams a year ago. 

The Pierre girls graduated state place-winners Shaylee Speck (fourth at 100), Sydney Uhrig, Emalee Larson and Heavenly Thompson. The Governors return state place-winners Dani Ringstmeyer (second at 114), Lexie Hillmer (fifth at 126), Kezry Benning (fourth at 132), Ireland Templeton (second at 145) and Abbigail Lewis (state champion at 152).

Some new names will need to step forward for Pierre from a group that includes Layne Heasley, Gemma Strangeland, Jersey Lewis, Peytynn Travers, Kyanne Traversie-Johnson and Brylee Pelle.

In each of the last three seasons Canton had found themselves as the state runner-up. The C-Hawks have some work to do to replace state champion Kiara King and state place-winners Jaryn Warejcka, Kieonna Smith and Kaylee Dean and Sara Schroder. 

Canton will build around Finley Evjen (state champion at 100), Kenzie King (sixth at 145), Natalie Long (sixth at 165). Some new names to keep an eye on include Jewel Gannon, Brooke Warejcka (Watertown champion), Nayeli Ortega, Kambree Wentz, Marin Rhode, Jersey Folens, Brynn Mulder, Kori Wallner and Natalie Long. 

Harrisburg finished third a year ago and will wait for three-time state champion Regina Stoeser to get healthy following a knee injury suffered in Las Vegas this summer. In addition to Stoeser the Tigers return Hadley Bryant (third at 114), Sammie Reil (fourth at 145), Emmerson Skuodas, fifth at 152 and Rhiannen Heimdal (third at 165).

Aberdeen Central was third at Friday’s Watertown tournament and returned state place-winners Jasmine Maas (eighth at 132), Lilly Nelson (seventh at 185), Lin Paw Jone (fifth at 145) and Nina Howard (eighth at 250 as a seventh-grader). 

Other challenges to the team title will come from Watertown and Lakota Tech.

Watertown athletes like Brooklyn Randall, Olivia Anderson, Allison Konrad and Eden Hach will be the main punch for the Arrows. 

Lakota Tech returns state champion Giada Scherich (132) and state place-winners Brandy Marshall, Jessica Waln and Sandra Moves Camp.