Garretson Track and Field is continuing its strong season, competing in the Baltic Invitational and the Howard Wood Relays last week.
In Baltic on Tuesday, May 2, the team competed against eight schools from Chester, Colman-Egan, Deubrook Area, McCook County/Montrose, Dell Rapids St. Mary's, Howard, and Baltic. Overall, Garretson mens' team placed 5th and womens' team came in 8th, with standout placings by Preston Bohl, Sam Schleuter, Ramsey Schweitzer, Logan Bly, Jordyn Williams, and the 4x100m relay team.
Bohl placed first in 1600m (4:45.83) and 3200m (10:28.20), and Schleuter won in the 300m hurdles event (44.65). Schweitzer took home second with a personal record in the 400m event (55.93), while Bly placed 2nd in the High Jump with a score of 4'11". Williams grabbed third place in the 100m dash (13.39). Third also went to the 4x100m relay team of Raegen Altman, Bly, Williams, and Hannah Frewaldt (54.52).
Rounding out the top four were Josh Gilbert in the 800m event (2:14.3, 4th), the 4x400 relay team of Schleuter, Collin Olson, Carter Siemonsma, and Schweitzer (3:53.39, 4th), and the 1600 medley team of Tyler Erickson, Schweitzer, Olson, and Siemonsma (4:10.35, 4th).
In fifth place were Williams in the 200m dash (28.20), the 4x100m relay team of Erickson, Cody Facile, Riley Lafferty-Mack, and Tyler Edmundson (51.60), and the 1600m medley team of Aleah Wagner, Brooklyn Trudeau, Jordan DeWitte, and Ava Ockenga (5:23.33).
Several members of the team saw their personal best at this meet, which means each athlete is only improving.
On Friday, five Garretson athletes competed at the Howard Wood Relays, an event that pulls over 3,000 athletes from all over the state. Jordyn Williams competed in the 100-meter dash, placing 57th.
However, the standout score came from the 4x800 relay team consisting of Preston Bohl, Sam Schleuter, Carter Siemonsma, and Collin Olson. They took home 15th out of 25 competitors, hitting a personal best for the season. They shaved 16 seconds off their previous record, crossing the finish line at 8:40.14.
The Dragon fielders next took to Dell Rapids for the Dell Rapids Invitational on Monday, May 8. Standouts included second place finishes and personal bests from Preston Bohl in the 1600m (4:38.66) and 3200m (10:21.44) runs, second place and personal best from Sam Schleuter in the 300m hurdles (44.18), and second place for the 4x800m relay team consisting of Josh Gilbert, Schleuter, Siemonsma, and Olson (8:55.31).
Williams, Bly, and Siemonsma took home third in their respective events, the 100m dash (13.33), the high jump (4'8"), and the 800m run (2:12.84). Fourth place went to three teams- 4x400m relay team of Schleuter, Olson, Siemonsma, and Bohl, the 4x800m relay team of Ockenga, Trudeau, Lucie Frewaldt, and Eliza Potter, and the 1600m medley team consisting of Altman, Aleah Wagner, DeWitte, and Ockenga.
Now looking towards the end of their regular season, the athletes will be heading to Sioux Falls today (Thursday) to compete in the Big East Conference. They'll have one more regular meet on Monday before heading to regions on Thursday, May 18.
