While the area track and field athletes I covered this past weekend were racking up record times and distance numbers, I was reminded of a former sports editor I had during my time working at the Aberdeen American News. John Papendick would often write a column listing the numbers involved with the most recent event he had covered. 

Those number lists came to mind as I was trying to relax and recover from the recent three days of photographing the South Dakota State Track and Field Meet at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. So in honor of John and without a mention of Mountain Dew or Skittles, here are some of the numbers from my weekend.

Approximately 24,000 steps

Over 6,300 shutter clicks on my camera

160 archived and published images

18 hours of sleep, give or take

Over six hours traveling in the car

Six bottles of water and two bottles of Powerade while at the meet- not nearly enough

Two hotel breakfasts

One cheeseburger on the run

Four other quickly consumed meals

Dozens of large commercial airline flights rumbling in the sky overhead taking off and landing daily during the meet

Unknown thousands of pounds of jet fuel used by the fighter jets doing training flights

One out of three National Anthems audible over the public address system, definitely something the South Dakota High School Athletic Association needs to correct next year.

There are more numbers I could add I suppose but the main thing I always take away from the State Track Meet is getting the chance to say hello and visit with other media members I know from around the state. State tournaments are “Old Home Week” events for everyone involved. Like a family reunion it is a time to catch up and say hello if only for a few minutes. 

One last thing the end of the track meet means is that the school year is nearly over. After State Softball and State Trapshooting this week, summer will finally be here. The off-season brings fewer live events to cover and a chance to recharge. It also means the 2025-2026 school sports year will get underway in early August.

Which by the numbers is less than 100 days away.

Pardon me while I take a nap.