Ranger track athletes hit the ground running

The Hill City High School track team traveled to Newcastle, Wyo., Thursday for the Laura Chord Memorial Track Meet.

Despite the cold, rainy and snowy weather, the team performed well for its  opening meet. 

Highlights of the boys competition included a second place finish by Dax Frandsen in the 100 meter with an 11.87, followed by Caleb Sobolik in third with a close 11.88. 

In the 200 meter, Nick Schroeder ran a 23.89—good enough for second place, followed by Brensen Veneklasen in eighth with a 25.26. 

Mason Buehler took a fourth-place finish in the 400 meter with a time of 54.91, while in the 800 meter Brodi Moriarty (2:08.31) and Barrett Bush (2:15.27) finished third and fourth place, respectively.

The Rangers placed four athletes in the top five of the 1600 meter with Tate Grabow leading the pack, finishing first by over 100 meters and 30 seconds ahead of the closest competitor with a 4:35.84, while Bush (5:04.17), James Dubois (5.04.31) and Aiden Williams (5:08.64) finished third, fourth and fifth respectively along with J.T. Isakson in seventh. 

In the hurdles, Alan Harvey placed second in the 300 meter and sixth in the 110 meter with a time of 24.34. Valentin Flores also placed in the 300 meter hurdles, coming in fourth with a time of 50.34.

Hill City nearly swept the boys varsity relays securing a first place finish in three of the four events.

Sobolik, Alec Gelvin, Ayden Kurtz and Schroeder took a first place finish in the 400 meter with a time of 46.35.

Hill City also placed first in the 1600 meter, ran by Gelvin, Mason Buehler, Harvey and Frandsen with a time of 3:39.46.

Grabow, Frandsen, Sobolik and Kurtz won the medley relay with a state-qualifying time of 3:43.77. 

“They ran a good time for early season,” said head coach Joe Noyes. 

“That time would qualify for state,” he said. “It’s encouraging that it was that early, and we ran that well.”

Schroeder won the long jump, leaping over a foot beyond the closest competition with a 20-2 1/2 also resetting his own personal record. Schroeder also placed second in the triple jump with a 38-11.

“He had a good day,” said Noyes.

On the girls side, eighth grader Eden Wildeman placed eighth in the 100 meter dash during her Hill City High School track debut with a time of 13.88. 

In the 800 meter, Hill City swept the top three spots with Jaelyn Peters (2:38.17), Brook Thayer-Burke (2:43.44) and Aliyah Peters (2:51.36) taking first, second and third respectively with Phoebe Bentley-Buschur coming in seventh with a time of 3:07.45. 

Daril Frandsen placed fourth in the 1600 meter race with a time of 6:00.23, with J. Peters in sixth (6:05.65) and Thayer-Burke in seventh (6:12.90). 

Andee Frandsen represented well in the hurdles with a first and second place finish respectfully in the 300 meter (49.09) and 100 meter (17.74) hurdles. Wildeman also placed in the 300 meter hurdles, taking third place with a time of 54.39.

“The meet is named the Laura Chord Memorial, after a young lady from Newcastle that passed away in 2021. She was a 300 meter hurdler, so they always take time during that event to recognize that event in memory of her. A. Frandsen won the 300 meter hurdles, and she got a sweatshirt and took a picture with the family,” said Noyes. “It was a really cool way to remember and recognize this young athlete.”

Relay highlights include a first place finish in the 400 meter, run by Addysen Kurtz, Macie Ham, Wildeman and A. Frandsen. The team took a third place finish in the 1600 meter with a time of 4:36.78, but individual runners were not listed.

Joy Anderson, Lily Ham, M. Ham and Dar. Frandsen finished second in the Medley relay with a time of 4:51.46. 

In the throwing events, Jaeden Richer placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 30-8, and sixth in the discuss with a throw of 94-4.

L. Ham and Ashley Ronning were a one-two punch in the high jump, securing first and second places respectfully with jumps of 4-11 and 4-9. 

In the long jump, Anderson placed second (15-1), followed by Kinsey Dillavou in fourth (14-6 1/2) and eighth grader Cora Stoebner in sixth (14-1 1/2). Dillavou also placed fifth in the triple jump with a leap of 29-5 1/2

The Rangers compete Thursday at the Southern Hills Early Bird Track meet in Rapid City.

“It’s an early season developmental meet to get kids plenty of events and kind of see where they’re at,” said Noyes.