By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

Clarkson was the gold medal winner in the event, clocking in with a meet record time of 9:24.35.

Birnbaum also added a first-place finish in the 800-meter run. The junior distance ace was the gold medal winner and broke the meet record (1:51.03). 

Mount Vernon/Plankinton's Berkeley Engelland competes at the state track and field meet on Friday. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Meet records fall on Friday

Here’s a rundown of meet records broken on Friday:

Simeon Birnbaum, Rapid City Stevens: The distance ace set the meet record in the Class AA boys 800-meter run (1:51.03). 

Sawyer Clarkson, Belle Fourche: Clarkson set the meet record in the Class A boys 3,200-meter run (9:24.35). 

Berkeley Engelland, Mount Vernon/Plankinton: The sophomore set the meet record in the Class A girls 800-meter run (2:12.88). 

Alea Hardie, Sioux Falls O’Gorman: Hardie, who will run at the University of Nebraska, set the meet record in the Class AA girls 800-meter run (2:09.64). 

Kellyn Kortemeyer, Custer: Kortemeyer, who will throw at the University of Nebraska, broke the meet record in the Class A girls discus (165-11).

Timber Lake's Hank Kraft competes in the shot put at the state track and field meet on Friday. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Kraft pulls balancing act, places in two field events

Timber Lake’s Hank Kraft spent his afternoon bouncing back and forth between two field events. 

The senior simultaneously competed in the long jump and shot put, recording top-eight finishes in both events. 

Kraft split his time bouncing from the respective pits, changing his footwear and staying loose in his patented Hawaiian button-up shirt. 

Kraft, a 5-foot-8 multi-sport athlete, was in the second flight of the shot put and qualified for the finals with a toss of 47-8.25. In the finals, he uncorked a personal-best toss of 49-0.5 to earn a sixth-place finish. 

After a quick trip to the podium, it was back to the long jump where Kraft advanced to the finals. 

Kraft’s final jump of 21-4.5 secured him a second-place finish, finishing just behind Chester Area’s Ryan Benson (21-9.75). 

On Thursday, Kraft won his second straight Class B triple jump championship. Kraft has scored all 21 points for the Panthers, who are currently tied with Freeman Academy/Marion for first place in the team standings. Kraft will also run in Saturday’s 100-meter finals.