GROTON – Some were looking to secure a spot at the state meet, others were attempting to a break school record, but whatever the motivation, competitive desire took center stage at the Region 1A track and field meet on Thursday.

While Milbank Area swept the team titles with Groton second in both divisions, it was the individual efforts that were the story of the day.

A prime example was the finish to the boys’ 800-meter relay where Webster’s Drew Reetz chased down the competition to lead the Bearcats to victory and ended up with a nasty scrape on his shoulder as a souvenir.

“We were in second when I was coming around the corner so I wanted to give it everything I had,” Reetz said, “and I remember my sprinting coach said to lean at the end, so of course I was leaning at the end, and I finished and I lost my steps and I kind of ate it.”

The rough tumble definitely left its mark, but Reetz was not going to be denied.

“I was very determined to get us that gold medal,” Reetz said.

While the race did not have a huge impact on the team standings or produce a state title, it did provide a sense of satisfaction for a standout competitor.

“It was definitely worth it,” Reetz said. “I have a giant scrape across my back, but it was definitely worth it.”

Reetz also won the pole vault and ran the anchor leg on the first place 1,600-meter relay team. He will have one more opportunity to show that competitive spirit at the state meet next week in Sioux Falls before heading off to Columbia University in the fall. He said it will feel different being his final competition.

“It definitely will, especially because I’m not doing any college sports so it will be my last hurrah,” Reetz said. “So I’m just going to be giving it everything I’ve got.”

Milbank’s Payton Brown definitely gave it everything he had in winning the 3,200-meter run. The junior was well out in front of the field, but left it all on the track en route to setting a meet record that dated back to 1981 owned by Redfield’s Lyle Wegner.

“A lot of people said I couldn’t do it because of the wind,” Brown said.

While there were no runners to push him physically, his opponents were able to push him verbally.

“Passing everybody they say, ‘Go get it man,’ because I was talking to them about (the record) right before and that kind of pushes me,” Brown said.

While runners need to have plenty of endurance to compete in the two-mile event, Brown said the race is only about 15 percent physical.

“You have to put the time in, but mentally it’s tough. It’s tough,” Brown said. “You can’t feel your legs, you just have to keep pushing them, keep moving them.”

A pair of runners were pushing each other down the stretch of the girls’ 400-meter dash for the second straight week. This time, Milbank’s Siera Wenzl was able to edge Camryn Rohlfs of Redfield after the opposite happened at the Northeast Conference meet a week ago.

“I was really close to our school record so that’s what was really on my mind, and Camryn was second on my mind,” Wenzl said of her thoughts entering the race. “So then when I beat her at the end, I was like OK, that’s something.”

While Wenzl was unable to get the record, she did get a measure of revenge after Rohlfs edged her by a fraction of a second last time.

“At the 200 she was ahead of me and I was like, OK, I think I can make this up,” Wenzl said. “At then at the 100, I was like I’ve got something in me, so I just pushed it all out.”

While there was plenty of motivation behind the win, it could just as well have been a race against a different competitor featuring the same desire.

“I think every race means something to me,” Wenzl said.

Wenzl, who was part of four wins as she anchored the winning 400-meter, 800-meter and 1,600-meter relay teams, prevented a perfect day for Rohlfs, who won three events on the day. Rohlfs won the 100, 200 and long jump.

“I did come to compete,” Rohlfs said.

The senior said competition comes in various forms.

“When you’re on the track and you’re running, you want to beat your competitors at the time,” Rohlfs said, “but then the overall picture obviously is to challenge yourself.”

Rohlfs said that the wind and the smoke played roles during the meet.

“The smoke was a big factor on breathing,” she said.

Rohlfs said that while she likes the long jump, the 400 is probably her best event.

“Even though the 400 is not very fun, I qualified for it,” Rohlfs said. “I’m highest in that in my running events right now.”

Milbank Area won four of the five relays in the girls’ division. The exception came in the sprint medley relay where the squad from Groton captured the win. Members were Jerica Locke, Rylee Dunker, Kella Tracy and Taryn Traphagen.

The meet marked a fitting bookend finish for Aberdeen Roncalli’s Jayden Munroe. Two years ago, Munroe attempted triple jump for the first time at a meet in Groton. Thursday, at the same jumping pit, the senior uncorked a career-best leap for 44-feet, 6-inches, best in Class A this season.

“I think part of this was they added a 40 (foot) board, so that kind of gave me more motivation to reach. I think that was a big reason why I got it,” Munroe said. “I was really looking forward to PR’ing today, so I had a lot of motivation coming into it.”

Munroe would like to cap his high school career with something even more impressive at the state meet next week in Sioux Falls.

“There’s a 40-board there, too,” Munroe said, “so stretch a lot more, get some more reach, I’m looking for 45 next week.”

Munroe’s mark was certainly a highlight on the day for the Cavaliers.

“Popping that 44-6 was huge for him,” said Roncalli coach Brady Lesnar. “He’s getting there. He’s getting into his rhythm again. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

Lesnar pointed out numerous accomplishments by his athletes during the region, notably the height of Beau Price in the pole vault, who cleared a personal best 11-feet, 1-inch. Lesnar said Region 1A has some of the state’s best vaulters.

“He got fifth and everybody that was ahead of him is in the top 24 and I think one of the guys he beat out is also in the top 24, so it was good competition,” Lesnar said. “Same for the girls. There’s six or seven girls that are qualified.”

Overall, Lesnar was pleased with the efforts of his athletes.

“I’m pretty satisfied,” Lesnar said. “I thought they gave what they could give and that’s all you ask.”

To see complete meet results, click on the following link:

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/495441/results/all