Multiple Howard Wood Dakota Relays and state records fall on thrilling first day

In just the first day of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays, several records were broken, challenged and a few races were decided in a photo-finish. The state's premier track and field event brought the best from several competitors looking to carry over their early-May performances into the state meet later this month.

Here are some takeaways from Friday's action at Howard Wood Field.

Sioux Falls Christian sets new Class A Howard Wood Dakota Relays meet record in girls 4x800-meter

Before the race, Sioux Falls Christian distance-runner Ellie Maddox said the Chargers’ 4x800-meter team combined all their PR’s. The Howard Wood Dakota Relays Class A girls meet record was 9:35.24 by Luverne high school in 2019. They could beat that.

“I knew around halfway through we were in good shape,” Sioux Falls Christian head coach Luke Vander Leest said.

Maddox, needing 2:25 in the final lap, finished in 2:20 fresh off a school-record 2:17 run in the 800-meter earlier this season. The team of Maddox, Corinne Braun, Savaeh Sichmeller and Anna Vyn crossed the line in 9:30.02. Vander Leest said the time was 16 seconds faster than its fastest time earlier this year, which at the time was a school record. But he said the training that they do should have them peak in May, and “hopefully even better in the state tournament.”

“It's always painful,” Maddox said. “but it's always worth it.”

Aiden Giffen wins long jump as South Dakota’s No. 1 long-jumper Sam Rohlfs plays safe with hamstring injury

Aberdeen Central athlete Sam Rohlfs felt good. Coming into the Howard Wood Dakota Relays Friday, South Dakota’s No. 1 long-jumper — who had been dealing with a recurring right hamstring injury the last two weeks — was a full go. He was set to compete in the long jump, the special 200-meter, the triple jump and the boys Class AA sprint medley.

More: Sioux Falls Howard Wood Dakota Relays day 1 results

But after he took his first jump, one that fell two feet short of his state-record jump (and would-have-been Howard Wood meet-record jump) of 24 feet, 0.75 inches, he felt a tightness again.

“The meet record was on my mind. A lot of things were on my mind competing for the first time in two weeks again,” Rohlfs said. “It just didn't go as planned, but that's going to happen sometimes. You just got to come back and do the work and get better.”

That ended Rohlfs’ weekend with a jump of 22-03. He opted not to jump in the final, and was scratched from the remainder of the weekend in hopes that he could continue to rehab and get better in time for the conference meet next week. His first jump was nearly enough to win the event, but Belle Fourche’s Aiden Giffen took advantage of the opening and bested Rohlfs in the finals with a jump of 22-07.75.

Giffen said he knew as soon as he jumped off the board that it was going to be a good jump and “22, at least.” He said he doesn’t tend to show it, but he “was pretty happy.

"This is the top (moment of my career) for sure," Hopefully going onto state, I'll get some firsts, (too)."

Hamlin’s Gracelyn Leiseth sets state record in girls shot put, outthrowing longtime competitor Custer’s Kellyn Kortemeyer

Hamlin shot put thrower Gracelyn Leiseth put everything into her last throw.

“I knew I had nothing to lose,” she said.

Her first few throws were pacing her for the lead in the meet, but over the years, Leiseth’s throws have meant more than that. The thrower in second place, Custer’s Kellyn Kortemeyer, had the state record with a throw of 48-10.75. They had gone back and forth their entire careers, and Friday, they went back again.

Leiseth’s final throw traveled 48 feet, 11 inches. A new Howard Wood meet and South Dakota state record. Leiseth said Kortemeyer was complimentary after the meet and she’s grown to love competing with her because of how friendly the bouts are. And, in the end, the two best throwers in the state bring the best out of each other.

“It just makes me push myself,”Leiseth said, “and be the best me that I could be in my shot and (discuss).”

Century (North Dakota) high school senior Erin Palmer wins second girls 800-meter special event

Century high school’s Erin Palmer tries not to look, but as she approached the finish line, she could hear the crowd growing in volume and she peered up at the video board. Mount Vernon/Plankinton’s Berkeley Engelland was gaining speed and ground on Palmer.

“I was like, ‘I gotta go,’” Palmer said.

Palmer has a “love-hate” relationship with the 800-meter. It does cross her mind: “I’m so tired, I got to slow down.” The last 200-meters is always going to hurt. But Friday she needed every last bit of energy, and the resulting time of 2:11.45 gave her a second special-event win in her career and the No. 3-fastest 800-meter run in North Dakota history.

When Palmer won as a freshman, she said it was a “bit of a surprise.” But this year Palmer entered the event as the No. 1-seeded runner. “Definitely a little more pressure,” she noted. Palmer got off to a fast start, crossing the line into the second lap with a solid lead.

Engelland didn’t let up, though. As they came around the straightaway towards the finish, Palmer could hear her behind her. She knows from training: the last lap was going to hurt. But she pushed through, even more than she ever had, earning a PR and a distinction not many have: a two-time special event winner.

“It's the atmosphere that helps me keep going,” Palmer said. “I knew that mentally I had to be tough, so my body would just follow suit.”

Custer’s Blake Boyster wins wild photo-finish in boys 200-meter special event

Custer’s Blake Boyster could feel himself coming up on Spearfish sprinter Jaden Guthmiller in the final 50 meters of the boys 200-meter special event. He just didn’t know if he had enough track left.

Yet Boyster kept sprinting, and in front of him, Guthmiller could feel him coming. They came parallel just a step before the finish line and Guthmiller dove forward. Boyster thought it might have been part stumble, part dive.

“I feel like if he knew he dived,” Boyster started, “then it might have been a photo-finish and go down to a 1000th of a second.”

And it did. But Boyster’s run through the finish line was enough. He edged out Guthmiller by .05 seconds, setting a mark of 22.57 to capture the special-event win, what he called “the greatest accomplishment of my life.”

“I feel like an Olympian, to be honest,” Boyster said. “It feels awesome.”

Boyster, who started out as a distance runner, has grown accustomed to short distances over the years and, as a junior, establishes himself in this race as one of the state’s best short-distance runners. He said the accolade should “help” with the college process, too.

There's only a few people in the world that can say they won the Howard Wood special (200-meter),” Boyster said. “That should give me a boost.”

Rapid City Stevens' Simeon Birnbaum sets 3,200 record

Rapid City Stevens' Simeon Birnbaum set a new state record in the 3,200-meter with a time of 8:55.22. Birnbaum broke ahead quickly in the race, running by himself and then utilizing the momentum of each lap to pace him through toward the record. He was ahead of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays record pace by the second lap, then attention turned to the state record.

He fell short of the state-record pace by a second or two some laps, but had an extra kick at the end. Birnbaum, who has the fastest mile in state history already, will be honored with the rest of the top-eight Saturday morning.

Follow Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter @mikejmccleary.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Howard Wood Dakota Relays: Multiple records set on first day