SIOUX FALLS – Jalyssa Hutson and Dustin Wurtz each captured Class B state championships during the opening day of the State Track and Field Meet at Howard Wood Stadium on Thursday.

Hutson, a sophomore from Ipswich, finished the day tying her personal best 11-foot vault despite battling the stress of defending her pole vault title.

“It feels really good because I’ve just been so stressed over the last three weeks about not winning, or someone beating me, not defending my title,” Hutson said. “It just kind of felt like a really heavy weight was lifted off of me.”

With that heavy weight off her shoulders, instead of trying to tie the State B record of 11-feet, 3-inches, she attempted to set it at 11-3.25.

“We figured if we’re gonna tie, we might as well go another quarter inch and go for it all,” said Ipswich pole vaulting coach Bryce Malsam. “We’re here to make history, not just be a part of history.”

That quarter of an inch was all that was needed to etch her name in the record books.

“I kind of giggled about it. It was 11 feet, 3 inches and a quarter,” Hutson said. “The quarter feels so pathetic but at the same time, it’s still beating it regardless.”

The second-place finisher was none other than teammate, Marley Guthmiller, who vaulted 10 feet. The two compete every day at practice, which helped prepare them for the State Meet.

“They are some of the best competitors I’ve ever had. At practice, it feels like the state meet every day,” Malsam said. “If one beats one, the other one wants another attempt at it to try to go even higher and better.”

Even though the two don’t get to practice pole vaulting every day, they know how to turn it on when they do get the pits out.

“We don’t practice pole vault very much because we just don’t get the pits out a lot, so when it’s time to go, it’s time to go,” Hutson said. “It’s always good to have somebody competing with you, like competing on your team with you, together. Because whether we go 1-2, or 2-1, either way it’s still good to have somebody with you.”

A fellow Lake Region Conference athlete, Courtney Leidholt of Warner, rounded out the top three with a vault of 10 feet.

The other area winner came in the discus from Wurtz, who threw a personal best 163-11 on his final throw of the day. The senior from Leola has struggled with consistency, but found it on the day that mattered most.

“It felt really good. My sophomore year, I threw 167 two times in practice, and I’ve never gotten anywhere near it in a meet or in practice. Good things happened today,” Wurtz said. “It feels great. I’m just happy to be on top of that podium.”

Wurtz opened the day throwing a 137-2, and followed it up with a 157-07 which would have won first alone as the next best throw was 155-01. Wurtz was clapped in on his last throw of his high school career which gave him a little extra motivation.

“I was just trying to throw. I mean, that’s all it really came down to. Now I knew I could do it, and then I knew I had more in the tank,” said Wurtz. “Last throw, the adrenaline was pumping and I felt really good, so everything just clicked. … Even though I don’t really like claps, it definitely got my blood pumping a little bit more and got me more hyped to throw one last time.”

Leola’s normal co-op partner Frederick took third in the boys’ 3,200-meter relay. The team which consisted of Noah Kippley, Howard Sumption, Titus Kippley, and Gavin Nickelson, ran a season best 8:35.14 securing a top-three place.

“It feels good to go out with a third-place finish,” said anchor Gavin Nickelson. “I love running in front of a big crowd and it really encourages me to push myself.”

The senior was given the baton with some ground to make up.

“I got the baton and had two guys in front of me. I caught them on the backstretch,” Nickelson said. “I just stayed ahead of them and then I just stayed with the second-place guy and stood with him.”

The senior looked at the third-place finish to give him a boost for the rest of the weekend.

“This gives me more confidence to go out and compete and hopefully place in my other relays,” said Nickelson.

The Wolsey-Wessington girls’ sprint medley relay team also took third with a new season-best time of 4:18.07. Kendal Uttecht anchored the relay running the 800-meter portion and set herself up for success with a quick first lap.

“It was really hard, I’m not gonna lie. The first 400 was like really fast,” Uttecht said. “So, I just had to hang on and do what I could.”

The Warbirds had a much different race from the last time they competed at Howard Wood in early May.

“At Howard Wood, we were in the slowest heat, and I got the baton in like almost last place,” Uttecht said. “But then here, I got the baton and I was a little more up there, which I really enjoyed.”

Initially, the senior was a little bummed out about finishing third, but then realized that they just broke a school record, and the two teams in front of them had also ran season bests.

“It felt really good. I was coming through, and I was like ‘Aw dang it, we’re in third place,’” Uttecht said. “But I looked at the video board and I was like ‘Oh, we got a school record,’ you know. It was something to be proud of for sure.”

Over in the jumping pits, Landon Larson of Potter County finished third after barely qualifying for the finals. The senior was sitting in 12th leading up to his final jump in the prelims and landed at 20-2.75, which was tied for 8th, meaning he got into the finals.

“I don’t know what was going on. I tied for eighth going in, just barely made it to finals. I don’t usually jump better in finals. Usually, my first jump is always my best, but today, I don’t know what happened,” Larson said. “I knew I had a chance. There’s only a few inches, and a few inches can go a long way in long jump. I just knew I had it in me and just hoped for the best.”

Larson’s fourth jump was the one that earned him third place. He hit 21-03.75 and was happy with his efforts in a competitive field.

“It felt good. I knew I was up there now, and I just wanted to go for my PR,” Larson said. “I was hoping for at least second. Rush (O’Neill of Bennett County) is hard to beat. He’s a good competitor. He was close to the state meet record, so I’m happy with third.”

The Wilmot boys’ sprint medley relay team took second consisting of Keitrick Genia, Jaxen Dockter, Kolby Haubris, and Ethan Schwenn.

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

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/601981/results