On paper, success at a state track and field meet is determined by times and distances. It is after all, how state championships are awarded.

However, I was reminded once again this past weekend, there are many championship efforts that sometimes don’t get highlighted. Track and field may be the only sport where at times it can be difficult to tell the difference between the event winner and someone who fell just short at the finish line.

At the recently concluded at state meet, I witnessed multiple races where there were multiple celebrations at the conclusion of the event (you certainly don’t see that in football, basketball or volleyball contests).

On one occasion, a team won a relay race so those members naturally celebrated the accomplishment (which set a new meet record, and moved the squad up into a higher place in the team standings). Yet there was just as much, if not more, joy from the second place team, because it moved up two spots to help secure a state team championship.

On another occasion, there was a tightly contested battle to conclude a race. Again, it was not uncommon to see the winner celebrate his success. What caught my attention was there was also a big amount of joy coming from the fourth-place finisher. Upon closer examination, he had just broken a decades-long school record.

There is a term that is commonly used in track and field, and one that all athletes have in their vocabulary. It is seldom used in another other sport, except for cross country and swimming. The term is simply PR, meaning “personal record.” If you attend track meets any time at any location, the two-letter acronym is bound to surface within the first five minutes of conversation.

Of course, one of the defining characteristics that I enjoy most about track and field is that it allows people to see the true heart and determination inside each individual athlete. Often times, there is a race within a race, a defining moment perhaps far from the front of the pack, that reveals a person’s true competitive spirit.

And of course, there is a brotherhood that is shared between all athletes, coaches and spectators. People are willing to share information and advice, and try to pump up the competitors regardless of what school they are from, even if it means they might end up beating your favorite athlete.

Yes, there were hundreds of athletes who returned home with state championship medals from the state track and field meet, and good for them. Plus, there were hundreds of other athletes who took home cherished memories that will also last a lifetime. It’s a reason why success has multiple meanings when it comes to track and field.

Here is a list of all the Most Valuable Performers at this year’s meet:

Class B Girls Field MVP: Paige Bull of Burke

Class B Girls Track MVP: Emery Larson of Chester

Class B Boys Field MVP: Lincoln Koehn of Kadoka Area

Class B Boys Track MVP: Lucas Flemmer of Dell Rapids St. Mary

Class A Girls Field MVP: Ciana Stiefel of Custer

Class A Girls Track MVP: Reagan O’Neill of Bennett County

Class A Boys Field MVP: Paul Hoekman of Sioux Falls Christian

Class A Boys Track MVP: Braden Peterson of Hot Springs

Class AA Girls Field MVP: Nyariek Kur of Sioux Falls Washington

Class AA Girls Track MVP: Libby Castelli of O’Gorman

Class AA Boys Field MVP: Beau Karst of Harrisburg

Class AA Boys Track MVP: Dylan Payer of Yankton.