Some of the top returning girls' track and field athletes in Class AA, A and B

Believe it or not, even some of northeastern South Dakota's high school track and field athletes have already competed outdoors in the first week of April.

That's certainly a rarity, but what's not unique is the ability of the area tracksters to compete quite favorably with those around the state who often get a head start each spring.

That said, here's a list of 20 returning area girls' track and field athletes to watch this season. The group includes Class AA, A and B competitors.

A story of area boys' track and field athletes to watch will be released in the coming days.

Shawnteah La Croix, Aberdeen Christian

Let's start off this list with some speed. The Knights' sophomore has been one of the top Class B sprinters each of the past two seasons.

She placed third in the 200-meter dash and fourth in the 100 in the 2024 state meet. La Croix also was third in the 200 and eighth in the 100 in 2023.

Chloe Raw, Arlington

How about some more speed? The Cardinals' junior is back after recording runner-up finishes in both the Class B 100- and 200-meter dashes at last spring's state meet.

She placed eighth in the 200 in 2022.

Malia Kranz, Watertown

Only a sophomore, Kranz finished sixth in the Class AA girls' shot put at last year's state meet and didn't take long to put her name in the Watertown program record book this season with a school record toss of 43 feet, 8 inches at an indoor meet.

She also throws the discus.

Taryn Nieman and Taryn Hermansen, Aberdeen Central

They have the same first name and are returning Class AA place winners in throwing events for the Golden Eagles.

Hermansen, a sophomore, took second in the shot put and Nieman, a junior, finished third in the discus.

Emma Schlachter, Potter County

Time to throw a middle-distance runner into the mix and that's something Schlachter, a sophomore, does quite well.

She finished fifth in the Class B girls' 800-meter run and anchored Potter County relay teams to a runner-up finish in the 3,200 and third-place finishes in the 1,600 and medley relays.

Isabelle Bloker, Sioux Valley

The junior is a standout distance runner for the Cossacks and the defending state Class A champion in both the 1,600 and 3,200.

She placed third in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600 in 2022.

Sadie Johnson, Estelline-Hendricks

The talented all-around athlete is set to put wrap up a stellar high school athletic career this spring. She finished sixth in the Class A pole vault and triple jump and eighth in the long jump at state last spring.

In 2022, she won the Class B pole vault and also placed in the long and triple jumps. In 2021, Johnson took third in the Class B pole vault.

Hadlee Holt, Iroquois-Lake Preston

The sky could be the limit for Holt, who is only a sophomore for the Sharks.

Oops, we forgot to mention she is coming off a third-place finish in the Class B shot put and a fourth-place finish in the discus in last year's state meet.

Ella Boekelheide, Northwestern

The sophomore long-distance standout has already completed two very successful state high school track and field meets.

In 2022, she won the Class B girls' 1,600 and 3,200 runs and also took fifth in the 800. She returned last spring to post runner-up finishes in all three of those races.

Halle Bauer, Great Plains Lutheran

An injury kept Bauer out of her senior season of cross country last fall and the South Dakota State recruit is looking to finish strong on the track.

She took fifth in the Class A girls' 3,200, sixth in thre 1,600 and eighth in the 800 at state last spring. As a freshman in 2021, she took fifth in the Class B 1,600 and eighth in the 3,200.

Paige McAreavey, Watertown

A rare senior on this list, McAreavey gets her spot ater placing seventh in the Class AA girls' discus at the 2023 state track meet.

She also was a state qualififer in the shot put.

Ciara Frank, Aberdeen Central

Another senior, Frank is coming off a runner-up finish in the Class AA high jump and a third-place finish in the long jump.

She also tied for sixth in the high jump in the 2022 state meet.

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Jacy Dexter, Milbank

The sophomore has speed and puts it to use on the track and in the pole vault. She is coming off a third-place finish in the Class A pole vault at last year's state meet.

Jalyssa Hutson-Marley Guthmiller, Ipswich

The Tigers always seem to have good pole vaulters. Case in point, Hutson and Guthmiller,

Hutson, only a freshman, finished second in Class B pole vault at the 2023 state meet. Guthmiller, a sophomore, has finished third in the event at each of the past two state meets.

Adison Moore, Iroquois-Lake Preston

Here's another sprinter to add to the mix. The Sharks' sophomore placed fifth in the Class B 100 and 200 dashes and eighth in the 400 at last spring's state meet.

Makenna Blank, Watertown

The Arrows didn't return a ton of state place winners from last season, but Blank joins Kranz and McAreavey on the list.

She finished eighth in the Class AA long jump at state last spring.

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Abigail Lee, Britton-Hecla

The Braves' freshman is back after taking third in the Class B girls' long jump and fourth in the triple jump in the 2023 state meet.

Adison Renkly, Sioux Valley

Staying with the jumpers, here's a junior who placed fifth in the Class A triple jump last spring.

She also scored on the track, taking second in the 100-meter hurdles.

Others

Other returning 2023 area state place winners include freshman Kylee Johnson (800 run), senior Akasha Gorecki (triple jump) and eighth-grader Nora Olsen (1,600 run) of Deubrook Area; sophomore Kaelyn Ulschmid (long jump) and senior Harley Johnson (long jump) of Arlington; freshman Kennadee Wagner of Warner (3,200 run); sophomore Dannika Kaup of Potter County (300 hurdles); senior Sofia Losure of Frederick Area (high jump) and senior Presley Knecht of Castlewood (long jump) in Class B.

Senior Chloe Langager of Sisseton (shot put) and senior Maggie Kruger (pole vault) and junior Siera Wenzl of Milbank (400 dash) of Milbank in Class A. Bayleann Moen of Langford Area placed in the Class A girls' pole vault last spring but now will compete in Class B.

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: Some of the top returning area high school girls' trrack and field athletes