The Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls witnessed an impressive display of athleticism as the 2023 State Track and Field Championships took place for all three classes, AA, A, and B. Among the competing schools, Lennox High School emerged with notable achievements, including personal bests and podium finishes in Class A.
The Lennox High School boys’ team (pictured at right) showcased their talent by securing fourth place in the team standings. The girls’ team demonstrated their strength, earning a seventh place finish.
In a highly competitive field, the Lennox girls’ 4x800 meter relay team comprising Karlie Bosma, Kelsey Schmidt, Kenzie Bosma, and Emily Plucker displayed exceptional teamwork and determination. Their outstanding performance rewarded them with the title of State runner-up, clocking an impressive time of 9:49.47. However, Sioux Falls Christian claimed the State Title in this event.
Continuing their success, Lennox High School’s girls’ sprint medley relay team, consisting of Dani Highum, Jayla DeCou, Karlie Bosma, and Emily Plucker, earned runner-up honors by recording a time of 4:16.71. Sioux Falls Christian secured the State A Title in this event, setting a new meet record with a remarkable time of 4:07.21.
The girls’ 4x400 meter relay team, featuring Jayla DeCou, Karlie Bosma, Kenzie Bosma, and Emily Plucker, also performed exceptionally well, securing the runner-up position at State with a time of 4:06.99. Sioux Falls Christian emerged as the State Title winner in this event, clocking in at 4:00.90.
Individually, Emily Plucker showcased her talent in the 800 meter run, capturing an impressive third-place finish at 2:17.73.
Jayla DeCou demonstrated her sprinting abilities, earning sixth place honors in the fiercely contested 100 meter dash finals, clocking a time of 12.71. The event was won by MVP’s Berkeley Engelland, who finished with a time of 12.36.
Lennox High School’s Addison Martz made her mark in the discus event, securing eighth place at State with a throw covering a distance of 120’4”. Gracelyn Leiseth of Hamlin emerged victorious in the event, setting a new meet record with a remarkable throw of 169’11”.
Holly Gillick’s exceptional performance in the high jump earned her a well-deserved spot on the podium, as she claimed eighth place after clearing 5’. Ashlyn Koupal of Wagner emerged victorious in the event, leaping over a height of 5’6”.
Kelsey Schmidt, representing LHS, displayed her endurance in the open 3200, securing 18th place with a time of 12:06.13. Schmidt also participated in the 1600 meter run, finishing 14th with a time of 5:25.37.
In the open 400 meters at State, Jayla DeCou (1:01.87) and Karlie Bosma (1:02.37) showed their skills but were unable to advance beyond the preliminary rounds.
The Lennox boys’ 4x800 meter relay team, consisting of Cade Sherard, Noah Sayler, Chett Jibben, and Cloy McVey, delivered an exhilarating performance, securing a hard-fought third place finish with a time of 8:14.09. McVey’s determination was evident as he rolled through the finish line, edging out Hill City for the podium spot. The State A Title in this event was captured by Sioux Falls Christian.
Lennox’s Layne Kuper and Austin Strasser showcased their skills in the 110 meter hurdles, securing places on the podium. Kuper claimed an impressive third place finish with a time of 15.54 seconds, while Strasser secured sixth place with a time of 15.86. The State Title was won by Josiah Adams of Sioux Falls Christian, clocking in at 14.78 seconds. Both Kuper and Strasser continued their success in the 300 meter hurdles, with Kuper finishing fifth (41.87) and Strasser eighth (43.02). Landon Slack also competed in the event for Lennox but narrowly missed qualifying for the finals. Adams of Sioux Falls Christian emerged victorious with a time of 38.95 seconds.
In the high jump event, Tate Gerdes soared to new heights, clearing an impressive 6’2” to claim third place honors at the State Championships. Lennox’s Layton Smith tied for fourth, clearing 6’. Sanborn Central/Woonsocket’s Jeffery Bouchee won the event, achieving a remarkable jump of 6’7.25”.
Cohen Metcalf secured a spot on the podium in the long jump, earning third place honors with a jump of 20’10.25”. Layne Kuper followed closely, securing fifth place with a jump of 20’2.5”. Teegan Musser also participated in the event, finishing 15th with a jump of 19’3.25”. Jayden Munroe of Aberdeen Roncalli claimed the State Title with a jump of 21’6.5”.
In the discus event, Cody Peterson missed medaling with a throw of 138’4”, earning him 12th place. However, Peterson found success in the shot put, securing eighth place with a throw covering a distance of 49’0.25”. Platte-Geddes’ Lee Reiser emerged as the State Champion in the shot put with a remarkable throw of 57’7.25”.
The boys’ Sprint Medley relay team, comprising Ethan Larson, Cohen Metcalf, Drake Mikkelsen, and Cloy McVey, narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing ninth in the event with a time of 3:42.22. Sioux Falls Christian claimed the State Title and set a new meet record with a blazing time of 3:33.75.
Cade Sherard represented Lennox High School in the 800 meter run, finishing in 11th place with a time of 2:01.47. Tate Gerdes came close to securing a podium spot in the triple jump, achieving a distance of 40’9.75” to finish ninth at the State Championships.
Cloy McVey showcased his endurance in the 1600 meter run, securing tenth place with a time of 4:29.78. Additionally, the boys’ 4x100 meter relay team comprising Ethan Larson, Teegan Musser, Braeden Wulf, and Cohen Metcalf, along with the 4x200 meter relay team of Ethan Larson, Teegan Musser, Ashton Bach, and Cohen Metcalf, were unable to advance out of the preliminaries. The 4x400 meter relay team, consisting of Ethan Larson, Cade Sherard, Cloy McVey, and Drake Mikkelsen, also fell short of making it out of the prelims, finishing with a time of 3:35.25.
Drake Mikkelsen competed in the open 400 meters but was unable to advance beyond the preliminaries, clocking a time of 53.86.