Gracelyn Leiseth, Simeon Birnbaum named as South Dakota Gatorade track athletes of the year
Jun. 29—MITCHELL — Two of the best track and field athletes in South Dakota history capped off their prep careers with one of the state's top honors.
Rapid City Stevens' Simeon Birnbaum and Hamlin's Gracelyn Leiseth were named the boys and girls recipients of the South Dakota Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Birnbaum and Leiseth as South Dakota's best high school boys and girls track and field athletes, respectively.
Birnbaum is committed to run at the University of Oregon. Birnbaum won the 3,200-meter run with his 8:34.10 effort at the Arcadia Invitational, which was the U.S. No. 1 time among prep boys in 2023 and set a National Federation of State High School Associations record, eclipsing a 15-year-old mark.
Birnbaum also won the two-mile run at the Brooks PR Invitational in 8:34.10, which ranked No. 1 nationally among prep competitors in 2023 and No. 2 in U.S. prep history. He also ranked No. 1 nationally and No. 4 all-time in the mile thanks to his 3:57.53 clocking that won the Hoka Festival of Miles.
This year was the second in a row Birnbaum received the player of the year honors, as he also maintained a weighted 3.92 GPA.
The last back-to-back winner was Sioux Falls Lincoln's Tyler Hiatt, who won it in 2019 and 2020 and went on to throw at North Dakota State.
Leiseth, a future Florida Gator, won the award for the third year in a row this year. She set a state record in the discus this past season with a throw of 175 feet, 3 inches at the Northeast Conference meet and won the Nike Outdoor Nationals shot put title with an effort of 52 feet, 1.5 inches. Leiseth ranked No. 3 nationally in both the discus and shot put among girls prep competitors in 2023. She also launched the shot a state indoor-record distance of 52 feet, 6.25 inches at the Dan Lennon Class B indoor meet in March. She also maintained a 4.02 weighted GPA.
Leiseth is the first three-time winner since Jasmyne King, of Rapid City Central, who won it in 2008, 2009 and 2010 before going on to run at the University of Miami. The last back-to-back winner was Sioux Falls Roosevelt's Jasmine Greer, who won it in 2019 and 2020 and went on to Kansas State.
The girls national Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year has already been announced as Angelina Napoleon from Allegany, New York, but the boys will be announced in July, with Birnbaum as a finalist for the award.
Other recently announced Gatorade Player of the Year awards include, Rapid City Stevens' Zack Williams in boys soccer and Harrisburg's Hailee Christensen for girls soccer.
Williams led the Raiders to a 13-2-1 record and the Class AA state championship this past season, scoring seven goals on the season. A three-time first team all-state selection, he concluded his prep soccer career with a school-record 58 goals. He maintained a 3.82 GPA and signed to play at Metropolitan State University, a Division II school in Denver.
Christensen, a rising senior, is committed to play at South Dakota State. This past season she scored 35 goals and tallied 20 assists, leading the Tigers to a 16-1-1 mark and a Class AA state title while maintaining a 4.03 weighted GPA.
