Sports

Sioux Falls Christian's Anna Vyn warms up at the state track and field meet in Sioux Falls.
(Courtesy photo)

Sioux Falls Christian girls look poised for Class A track and field repeat

May 24, 2023

SIOUX FALLS — The Sioux Falls Christian girls racked up 101.5 points to win the 2022 Class A girls track and field title. The scary thing is the Charger girls might have a better overall team this year and the team is favored to repeat as the South Dakota state track meet gets underway Thursday.

Relays are big for the Chargers who have top times in the 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay and 3,200-meter relay. In the relays they don’t have the best time, they have the second fastest times in the 800-meter relay and sprint medley relay.

Sophomore Anna Vyn has the second fastest 400-meter dash (:57.72) and the fastest 800-meter run (2:14.01). The Charger girls have the second, third and fifth best times in the 1,600-meter run and the second, fourth and fifth fastest times in the 3,200-meter run. The Chargers will score points in the 300-meter hurdles and freshman Rylee Punt has the second best pole-vault in Class A (11-1).

The Custer girls always seem to find a way to get in the mix. Sophomore sprinter Jordyn Larson has the second fastest time in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Senior Ramsey Karim will close a brilliant career with efforts in the 800-meter run and 1,600 meter run and several relays. The Wildcats will score well in the 1,600-meter relay, the 3,200-meter relay and sprint medley relay. Traditionally very strong in the field events, pole-vaulter Ciara Stiefel is the only field event specialist favored to win.

The Mount Vernon/Plankinton girls were fourth a year ago but this team has developed and has a nice mix of top contenders. Berkeley Engelland has top marks in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes and the top time in the 800-meter run. Reagan Rus is one of the most improved athletes in South Dakota this spring with top times in both hurdling disciplines. Junior Clara Fink has top-seven marks in the shot put and discus and her contributions will go a long way in moving MVP up in the team standings.

The West Central girls have the top time in the 800-meter relay with Emma Goehring leading all Class A long jumpers (17-7.5)

State meet records that could be broken:

MVP’s Berkeley Engelland already holds meet records in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run. She could take down one of Class A’s oldest records, the 200-meter dash mark (:25.15) from Cheyenne-Eagle Butte’s Althea Meeter in 1991.
Canton’s Heidi Reed’s records in the 1,600 (5:03.61) and 3,200 (11:08.85) meter runs have stood since 1991. Sioux Valley’s Isabelle Bloker has clocked a 10:48.77 in the 3,200 meter run. The Class A girls 1,600-meter run is going to be a dog fight with about six girls capable of running under Reed’s record time.
Sioux Falls Christian could break meet records in any number of relays with the 3,200-meter relay, sprint medley and 400-meter relay being their best opportunities.
Hamlin’s Gracelyn Leiseth already holds the state meet record in the shot put (52-6.75). She’ll also be looking at taking down Custer’s Kellen Kortemeyer’s discus meet record of 165-11 set in 2022.
Custer sophomore Ciana Steifel leads Class A pole vaulters with a 12-7 jump. That’s nearly a foot better than the meet record (11-10) set by Lead-Deadwood’s Carolyn Groeger in 2018.