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Highlights from the NEC meet at Sisseton and the BEC meet at Baltic

roger merriam, watertown public opinion
·4 min read

SISSETON — Milbank's reign over the Northeast Conference track and field championships remains.

The Bulldogs won the boys division for the seventh-straight year and also secured a third-straight girls division title in the 11-team meet on Thursday.

Milbank won the boys division with 192 points, followed by Webster Area at 129, Aberdeen Roncalli 94, Deuel 90.5, Hamlin 87, Clark-Willow Lake and Groton Area each 45, Sisseton 38.5, Britton-Hecla 32, Redfield 25 and Tiospa Zina 0.

In the girls division, Milbank won with 177 points. Groton Area took second at 137, followed by Deuel at 91.5, Clark-Willow Lake 90, Webster Area 73.5, Aberdeen Roncalli 70.5, Britton-Hecla 45, Hamlin 39, Sisseton 33, Redfield 17.5 and Tiospa Zina 0.

Milbank's Payton Brown, Aberdeen Roncalli's Joe Perkins and Deuel's Tyson Hagberg are pictured in the boys' 1,600-meter run during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton. Brown took first, Perkins second and Hagberg fourth.
Milbank's Payton Brown, Aberdeen Roncalli's Joe Perkins and Deuel's Tyson Hagberg are pictured in the boys' 1,600-meter run during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton. Brown took first, Perkins second and Hagberg fourth.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs

Samuel Rick won the long jump (20-5.5) and triple jump (40-9.75) and Emmett Hanson the 110-meter (15.72) and 300-meter (42.16 hurdles). They also ran on the winning 1,600 relay (3:34.55) along with Harley Zemlicka and James Batchelor, who also won the 3,200 (10:06.41). Payton Brown won the 800 (1:56.76) and 1,600 (4:38.5) relays and Jayden Johnson the pole vault (12-9).

Siera Wenzl led the way for Milbank's girls. She won the (12.92), 200 (27.79) and 400 (1:01.06) and also ran on the winning 1,600 relay (4:16.17) with Ella Koplin, Zayda Townsend and Bree Townsend. Koplin also won the 800 (2:34.08) and also ran on the winning 3,200 relay (9:59.81) with Zayda Townsend, Biana Berry and Ashlynn Batchelor.

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Other NEC Boys Highlights

Hamlin's Zac VanMeeteren had a big meet. He won the 100 (11.33), 200 (22.87) and 400 (52.14) dashes and anchored the winning 400 relay (45.57) that included Gavin Maag, Rylan Thue and Evan Stormo. Teammate Cristhian Rodriguez won the discus (152-0) and javelin (156-11).

Robert Begalka of Deuel (shot put, 51-8.5) and Bo Begeman of Clark-Willow Lake (high jump, 5-8) also won individual events.

Webster Area won the 800 relay (1:32.71) with runners Martin Dorsett, Brent Bearman, Carson Mount and Gavin Witt. Roncalli's Paul Gutenkauf, Aiden Fisher, Ben Bradley and Joe Perkins teamed to win the 3,200 relay (8:42.42) and Lane Tietz, Colby Dunker, Keegen Tracy and Blake Pauli of Groton Area won the medley (3:46.9).

MaKia Moe of Deuel cleared 10 feet, 6 inches to win the girls' pole vault during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton.
MaKia Moe of Deuel cleared 10 feet, 6 inches to win the girls' pole vault during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton.

Other NEC Girls Highlights

Shayne Fritz of Hamlin won the long (16-0.25) and triple (33-6.5) jumps and Chloe Langager of Sisseton the shot put (36-1) and discus (102-11). Kamryn Nesheim of Clark-Willow Lake the 1,600 run (5:09.07), Noa Sancho of Redfield the 3,200 run (11:53.43), Sara Thonvold of Clark-Willow Lake the 100 hurdles (17.19), McKenna Tietz of Groton Area the 300 hurdles (51.98), Shelby Begeman of Clark-Willow Lake the high jump (5-0), MaKia Moe of Deuel the pole vault (10-6), and Emma Kutter of Groton Area the javelin (87-10).

Clark-Willow Lake won the 800 (1:52.52) and medley (4:24.4) relays. Kadee Frankfurth, Johanna Vandernisck, Nevaeh Reitz and Cadence Bochek ran on the 800 and Reitz, Vandersnick, Bochek and Nesheim ran on the medley. Deuel took the 400 relay (53.62) with runners Laycee Anderson, Alayna Carlson, Addison Timmons and Sophie Trupe.

Runners, from left, Zac VanMeeteren of Hamlin, Keegen Tracy of Groton Area, Martin Dorsett of Webster Area, Dashel Davidson of Britton-Hecla and Jayden Johnson of Milbank run the boys' 100-meter dash during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton. VanMeeteren won the 100, 200 and 400 dashes. Tracy was second in the 100, Dorsett fourth, Johnson seventh and Davidson ended up 10th.

Sioux Valley rules Big East again

BALTIC — Sioux Valley swept the team titles in the Big East Conference track and field meet for the second-straight year.

The Cossacks won the girls division with 132 points, followed by Chester (115), Flandreau (110), Baltic (99), Parker (90), Beresford (79), Garretson (47) and McCook Central-Montrose 43.

Sioux Valley scored 172 points in the boys division. Baltic was second at 121, followed by Chester at 115, Beresford 106.5, Garretson 58,, McCook Central-Montrose 56.5, Parker 55 and Flandreau 53.

Chloe Langager of Sisseton won the girls' shot put and discus during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton.
Chloe Langager of Sisseton won the girls' shot put and discus during the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Sisseton.

Mitchell Guthmiller won the high jump (6-1) and ran on the winning 1,600 (3:44.44), 3,200 (8:35.3) and medley (3:48.12 relays. Donovan Rose took the 100 dash (11.14) and 110 (15.4) and 300 (43.85) hurdles. Skyler Trystad took the 1,600 (4:47.73) and 3,200 (10:36.81) runs.

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Brock Christopherson also ran on all three winning relays for Sioux Valley. Brady Hiltunen and Carson Wosje ran on both the 1,600 and 3,200 relays. Hunter Steinhaus and Jakob Guthmiller rounded out the medley.

Adison Renkly won the 100 hurldes (16.5) and joined with Abby Haaland, Talya Vincent and Isabelle Bloker to win the medley relay (4:20.97). Summer Guthmiller (discus, 112-7), Tia Glaus (javelin, 99-0) and Emma Gorvin (high jump (4-11) also won events.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Two more area conference track and field meets held on Thursday