By Richard Winter 

605 Sports

Over the years, the Custer track and field teams have been built around half milers and field event specialists. The Wildcats won back-to-back titles in 2013 and ‘14 but haven’t been in the top two at the state track meet until last year’s runner-up finish to Sioux Falls Christian. 

It is very early in the season but the Custer boys are off to a great start with a number of athletes with outstanding times, distance and heights. 

Drew Lehman: 400-meter run (:51.17) and 800-meter run (1:59.64) has two of the fastest Class A times in the mid-distances. Kincade Lehman is the jumper that shattered personal bests at last week’s Queen City Classic winning the long jump 21-7.5 and triple jump 45-3.25. Both brothers, along with Danny Immormino and Sam Gaulke, run on Custer’s 1,600-meter sprint medley team (3:43.58) that has the fastest time in the state so far this season. 

Pole vaulter Robbie Emery has cleared (14-0), tied for the top mark in Class A and high jumper Carter Tennyson has a clearance of (6-02). Hurdler Mical Grace has top-five Class A marks in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles. Custer’s 3,200 meter relay team of Drew Lehman, Jackson Wiles, Sean Shipp and Sam Gaulke has Class A’s second fastest time (8:33.13). Shipp’s 9:55.58 in the 3,200 meter run is the third fastest in Class A this season. 

Breakout youngster athletes

Bergan Musser, Lennnox: This is a name we may hear about for awhile as the seventh-grader long jumped 17-0.5 already this season. Musser looks like she will be a factor in the short sprints as well as running on several relays for the Orioles.

Hannah Genrich, Harrisburg: Pretty early in the season for a seventh-grader from Harrisburg to run an 11:07.81 in the 3,200-meter run.

Tenlee Stiefel, Custer: Only a seventh-grader Tenlee has already cleared 9-6 in the pole vault. Her older sister Ciana, a junior, has a clearance of 11-6 so far this season. 

Kellen Pfitzer, Mobridge-Pollock: Only a freshman, Pfitzer already has a throw of 144-5 in the Class A boys discus, which is among the best in the class.  

Athletes to Watch:

• Dylan Payer, Yankton: Payer has the state’s fastest times in the mile run (4:17) and the 3,200 meter run (9:20.54) posting those times at the Arcadia Invitational in California. The early season times are already well ahead of Payer’s personal bests from 2023.

• Cristhian Rodriguez, Hamlin: The javelin is a new event for Class B and Class A schools this season. Rodriguez has Class A’s top throw this season (150-10).

• Watertown’s Boaz Raderschadt: A senior, Raderschadt has Class AA’s top marks in the shot put (55-07) and discus (155-06). 

• Wall’s Brodi Sundall: More known for his exploits on the basketball court Sundall already has an 800-meter run time of (2:05). Wall’s 3,200 meter relay time of 8:36.46 is easily the top time in Class B so far this season.

• Pierre’s Kali Ringstmeyer: The defending Class AA champion in the 200-meter dash, Ringstmeyer has the top 100-meter dash time (:12.35) so far this season.

• Centerville’s Emma Marshall: The Irene/Wakonda transfer has a 400-meter dash time of (:59.82) this season and is one of the top Class B long jumpers in the state.

• Spearfish’s Anna Hoffman: The senior has the state’s fastest times in the 100-meter hurdles (:15.32) and 300-meter hurdles (:46.38). 

Relay teams with absurdly fast early season times:

• Hill City boys 3,200-meter relay: On March 28, the foursome of Devin Buehler, Tate Grabow, Leighton Aves and Brandon Escalante cranked out a time of 8:13.06. An incredibly fast time to run in March, and other than Sturgis (8:15.60), the next fastest time is an 8:32.85 from Sioux Falls Roosevelt. 

• Rapid City Stevens’ 800-meter relay (1:29.61): We don’t see a lot of sub 1:30 efforts in South Dakota in this race, especially in early April. The foursome of Liam LaCarruba, Otto Red Bear, Landen Matkins and Cael Meisman are the members of this team. 

• Spearfish girls 1,600-meter sprint medley (4:10.51): The foursome of Adelyn Bouman, Daniela Rodriguez, Maria Bouman and Peyton VanDeest delivered this scorching fast time at the Queen City Classic on April 5. The next fastest time in the state is 4:28.47 from Sioux Falls Roosevelt. 

• Sioux Falls Christian girls 3,200-meter relay: The foursome of Ellie Maddox, Natalie Smith, Savaeh Sichmeller and Corrine Braun have a time of 9:37.07 from April 4. South Dakota’s next fastest time is 10:00.85 from Dakota Valley.