Some won state championships, while others just missed reaching of the top of the podium, but there is no shortage of area talent returning from last year’s state track and field meet this season.

The list is led by a quartet of individuals who captured state titles last spring. Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide is the reigning Class B champion in both the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs. Aberdeen Central’s Gracie Rife is the defending champ in the Class AA 100-meter dash, and Ipswich’s Jalyssa Hutson and Rasmus Loken are defending Class B pole vault champions in girls and boys, respectively.

Meanwhile, Potter County is the defending champion in the Class B girls’ 1,600-meter relay, while Ipswich won the Class B boys 400-meter and 800-meter relays a year ago.

Those individuals who finished runner-up a season ago and are back this season include Central’s Taryn Hermansen in the AA shot put, Ipswich’s Madisyn Gellhaus in the Class B 3,200-meter run, and Marley Guthmiller in the Class B pole vault, Hamlin’s Zac VanMeeteren in the Class A boys’ 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, Webster’s Matthew Mount in the Class A shot put, and Landon Larson of Potter County in the Class B long jump.

Runner-up relay squads from last season include Herreid-Selby Area in the Class B girls’ 400 meters, and Sunshine Bible in the Class B girls’ 1,600 meters.

Returning third-place individual finishers from a year ago include Warner’s Kenna Wolberg in the Class B girls’ 3,200-meter run, Wolsey-Wessington’s Tatum Luce in the Class B girls’ high jump, Britton-Hecla’s Abigail Lee in the Class B girls’ triple jump, Lucas Johnson of Great Plains Lutheran in the Class A boys’ high jump, and Ty Boekelheide of Northwestern in the Class B boys’ triple jump.

Other top-five girls’ individual finishers who are back this season include Aberdeen Christian’s Shawnteah LaCroix who was fourth in both the Class B 200-meter dash and long jump, Gellhaus of Ipswich who was fourth in the Class B 1,600-meter run, Faulkton’s Carley Cotton who was fourth in the Class B 100-meter hurdles, Dannika Kaup of Potter County who was fifth in the Class B 300-meter intermediate hurdles, Hitchcock-Tulare’s Emma Schneider who was fifth in both the Class B long jump and triple jump, Kamryn Nesheim of Clark-Willow Lake who was fifth in the Class 1,600-meter run, North Central’s Lindsey Geier who was fifth in Class A long jump, and Milbank’s Jacy Dexter who was fifth in Class A pole vault.

Other top-five boys’ individual finishers who are back this spring include Faulkton’s Spencer Melius who was fourth in both the Class B 300-meter intermediate hurdles and javelin, Leola’s Dustin Wurtz who was fifth in both the Class B shot put and discus, Ipswich’s Max Kulesa who was fifth in the Class B 200-meter dash, Webster’s Gavin Witt who was fourth in the Class A 200-meter dash, Aberdeen Roncalli’s Parker Grieben who was fourth in the Class A 110-meter high hurdles, Emmett Hanson of Milbank who was fourth in the Class A 300-meter intermediate hurdles, and Aberdeen Central’s Felipe Gonzalez who was fifth in the Class AA shot put.

(Note: Team track and field previews for Aberdeen Central, Aberdeen Roncalli, and Aberdeen Christian ran recently).