SIOUX FALLS – It wasn’t quite the distance that Taryn Hermansen envisioned, but it was exactly the result she had been dreaming of.

The Aberdeen Central junior won the Class AA shot put state championship during the opening day of the State Track and Field Meet at Howard Wood Stadium on Thursday.

For winning her first state title, Hermansen seemed more subdued than pumped following her victory.

“I’ve been mentally preparing for this for the past few hours,” Hermansen said, “so just kind of letting it all soak in right now, that’s for sure.”

As is her pre-competition routine, Hermansen spent time in quiet thinking about what was about to transpire before going over to the throwing ring.

“I sit down, I picture, I breath and I’ll go through every throw that I’ll do, whether I’m going for my first power throw in warmups and then my next two pivots, and then my full and then I go and picture everything before it,” Hermansen said. “I picture other people throwing. Picture what I’m going to do before I go throw, because if I can picture it, I know what I’m ready for, and I know that I can go do it and I can just relax then.”

So did things transpire like Hermansen envisioned they would?

“Well, I mean I won, that’s the big picture,” Hermansen said. “I know that I could have done better, but sometimes you gotta take what you get and I still won, and that’s something I’ve wanted since I was probably 5-years-old.”

The state title was something that Hermansen has been close to before, but unable to attain.

“I know what it’s like to get second. I’ve got that the past two years in a row,” she said. “I was ready to come get first today for sure.”

Hermansen, who set the Central school record earlier this season, has been the dominant shot put thrower in the state all spring. She said it’s a bit different having a target on her back.

“I love trying to chase people and you have to change your mindset,” Hermansen said. “You’re not chasing someone, you’re chasing your own self, and every day I try to better myself. So every day when I have to go chase my own self, I always have to try to get better each and every day.”

Hermansen wasn’t the only Golden Eagle who earned a place on opening day. Jaidyn Forsyth finished fifth in the pole vault.

While Forsyth wasn’t able to reach her career best mark, she still improved her place on the podium from last season.

“I wish I could have done better,” Forsyth said, “but it is what it is and hopefully next year I have a better outcome, but I’m still pretty happy I placed.”

Just a junior, Forsyth plans to improve throughout the summer and come back stronger than ever for her senior season.

“I’m going to work really hard this summer and try to do better,” Forsyth said, “and fix little things in my form.”

It turned out to be a mixed day of results for the Central girls with everything from a new state champion to a defending state champion being disqualified.

“To quote the famous Charles Dickens, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” said Central girls’ coach Jim Appl.

“Taryn Hermansen goes out and wins the shot put for us,” Appl said. “Jaidyn Forsyth last year got eighth at the state meet, this year she gets fifth, and Brecken Santjer is right on the border knocking in.”

That’s when Gracie Rife was disqualified in the 100-meter semifinals for a jump start.

“We have our little hiccup there. Gracie Rife, defending state champ, she false starts,” Appl said. “I was like is your coach mad at you? No. Am I mad at you? No. Is your mom mad at you? No. OK, then take it out on the 4X1. And she goes out and just gets the baton, you could see a different look in her eye and she just got that baton. We win our heat, we get to sit in lane three for the finals and that’s how you bounce back. In life we’re all going to fall down, it just matters how you bounce back, and that’s how you bounce back. She crushed it.”

Appl also noted that the 3,200-meter relay ran a PR by 12 seconds and the sprint medley relay squad had a six-second PR.

The Central boys received a strong performance from Brenner Waldrop in the javelin. The sophomore produced his second best throw ever with a mark of 150-feet, 2-inches.

“The goal was to PR. We didn’t quite PR by a few inches,” Waldrop said, “but I’d definitely say successful day for javelin.”

He said he could tell the atmosphere was much different at the state meet compared to the regular season.

“The environment is just different,” Waldrop said. “You can feel it in the air. It’s competition time.”

It was a rare calm day in South Dakota and javelin throwers often like a headwind to help them with their throws.

“I prefer no wind, but when you get to the college level, colleges coaches, they’ll tell you you want a headwind,” Waldrop said, “because if you throw the javelin just right, it will cut right through that wind and go even further.”

Waldrop will compete in the discus event today. He said there are major differences between his two throws.

“Discus hits in a ring, it’s just a small little disc in your hand, and you do a spin movement,” Waldrop said. “It’s a lot different than javelin.”

Central’s Carter Lust just missed making the finals in the 100-meter dash, running a strong semifinal where he finished second.

Lust had shorter strides than his competitors, which helps off the blocks, but then the sophomore has to find a way to maintain his lead.

“Off the acceleration for the first 50, I’d say it does (help),” Lust said. “Then I just have to maintain that speed to the finish.”

Lust has been able to keep lowering his times throughout the season, saving his best for last.

“I’d say at practice we do a good job stretching, just getting our workouts done, and eating well off the track,” Lust said “and just trying to do the best I can do.”

The Golden Eagles are primed to score some points in the boys’ division when action resumes this morning at 9.

“We’re right on the edge and we’re young and we’re getting some good experience,” said Central boys’ coach Greg Murley. “We’re really counting on our 300 hurdlers coming through (Friday) and our discus throwers (Friday).”

Action will get started with Central’s Carson Urlacher competing in the 3,200-meter run.

“Hopefully, Carson can do something right away in the morning in the two-mile,” Murley said. “We’re going to be competitive and we’re going to compete as hard as we can.”

To see first-day results, click on the following link:

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/601974/results