By Rich Winter

605 Sports

On occasion Class B and Class A schools have the opportunity to mix it up with the AA schools. Friday was one of those days as a number of smaller schools had the opportunity to compete in what turned out to be an elite early season meet. 

(All times, distances and rankings are from the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s Top-Performer lists)

Looking forward to Red Cloud running the 3,200 meter relay

The Red Cloud girls had some great results yesterday in a wide range of events stretching from 400 meters to the 2-mile run. Expect Russ Cournoyer to load up a 4x800 relay in the near future. 

Red Cloud girls results: 

400 meters: 2nd, Jade Ecoffey, 1:00.58 (currently the No. 3 time in Class A)

800 meters: 3rd, Jade Ecoffey, 2:22.85 (Currently the best time in Class A); Cheree Ferguson also competed in this event finishing 11th with a time of 2:35.47 (Currently the sixth best time in Class A); Jewelia LeBeau also ran a 2:48.14.

3200 meters: 5th, Ashlan Carlow, 12:10 (Currently third best time in Class A), Rarity Cournoyer ran 12:48 (currently the fourth best time in Class A); Cheree Ferguson ran 12:50 (currently the fifth best time in Class A)

300 hurdles: Red Cloud’s Ashlan Blount finished in 7th place with a time of 50.86 (That time is currently the third best in Class A)

300 hurdles: Dupree’s Raelynn Vines finished 8th with a time of 51.73 (Vines placed in this event at the state track meet last year and is off to a quick start this season). 

Jade Ecoffey, the 2021 state champ in the 1,600 and 3,200 ran solid times in the 400 and 800 meter events - Photo courtesy of South Dakota Public Broadcasting

St. Thomas More’s Ethan Burnett goes big in the triple jump

A year ago then St. Thomas More junior Ethan Burnett went out for track. Seems like he picked up the jumps very late in the season. He even managed to get an 8th-place medal from the state meet where he jumped 41-7. 

Friday, in his first meet of the year, Burnett soared to 42-11.5. That is the leading mark in Class A so far this season. 

The Wall relays made some noise in Spearfish

One of the track teams I always enjoy following are the Wall Eagles. They’ve had some great teams over the last five years, especially on the boys side. At Friday’s Spearfish meet the Wall girls did some big things on the track. 

Girls results:

400 meter relay: 8th, 53.62 (The quartet of Nora Dinger, Macee Paulson, Paige Kjerstad and Ava Dinger may have only finished 8th but they currently have the top time in Class B).

800 meter relay: 7th, 1:52.82 (Taylor McDonnell along with Ava and Nora Dinger and Kjerstad - That also is the top time in Class B so far this season). 

Sprint Medley: 5th, 4:46.2 (Nora Dinger, Ava Dinger, Paige Kjerstad and Keaunna Poor Bear - That also is the fastest time in Class B so far this season).

400 meters: 4th, Paige Kjerstad, 1:02.2 (Fastest time in Class B so far)

Boys results: 

400 meter relay: 8th, 46.26 (James Livermont, Malcolm Heathershaw, Rylan McDonnell, Cedar Amiotte - Currently the third best time in Class B)

800 meter relay: 7th, 1:36.42 (Brodi Sundall, Malcolm Heathershaw, Rylan McDonnell, Cedar Amiotte - Wall has the fastest time in Class B so far)

Sprint Medley relay: 6th, 3:55.11 (Malcolm Heathershaw, Rylan McDonnell, Cedar Amiotte, Brodi Sundall - Keep an eye on this team. Sundall is only a sophomore and his 800 time will keep coming down. If Wall takes about five seconds off their current time they will be in the hunt for medals at the state meet. 

Wall sophomore Brody Sundall ran the anchor leg on Wall's 6th place Sprint Medley Relay - Photo courtesy of South Dakota Public Broadcasting
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Triple jump: 4th, Rylan McDonnell, 41-2 (Currently the top jump in Class B)

Each week 605 Sports will be putting together a Top-10 list for all track and field events, listed by class. Those rankings will come out every Monday.