WARNER – Track and field athletes took advantage of warmer weather and solid competition to improve marks and record victories during the inaugural Roncalli Geffdog Relays at Warner on Thursday.
Warner’s Kaydee Mackner was one of numerous athletes who were involved in multiple victories on the day.
“It’s been pretty good,” Mackner said of her meet. “Probably one of the better ones. It could have gone a lot of different ways.”
For the most part it went Mackner’s way as the freshman won the long jump, the 200-meter dash, ran on the winning 400-meter relay squad, and finished second in the 100-meter dash.
She was pleased with her win in the long jump after getting off to a slow start.
“I scratched my first jump, stuttered the board on my second jump, and then I jumped good my third jump,” Mackner said.
She said handoffs are a big key in winning sprint relays.
“We work on handoffs, especially last year when we went out of the exchange zone at state, but we did better today,” Mackner said. “We’ve really been hammering the 4X1 handoffs recently.”
Mackner is also a key member of the Warner volleyball and basketball teams, and competes with the same group of girls in those sports.
“They all matter for each other,” Mackner said of the importance of every sport for the Monarchs regardless of the season. “That’s why I think we’re successful all year round, because we play with each other.”
Brody Davis of Ipswich also had a big day, winning the pole vault and running on a pair of victorious relay squads.
Davis, who finished second at state last year in the pole vault, recorded a mark of 12-feet, 6-inches, just three inches off his personal best.
“I’m pleased. I just need to work on small things so I can get higher,” Davis said.
He had to deal with a wind that changed directions during his competition.
“At the start it was from the back so it was making me a little faster,” Davis said, “but then towards the end it was kind of a cross wind, so that doesn’t necessarily help.”
Davis ran the third leg on the winning 400-meter relay team. He received the baton from Kyle Hettich in good shape and then bolted past the competition on the curve.
“Sometimes there’s maybe one kid in front of me,” Davis said of when he receives the baton, “but most of the time I’m ahead of everyone.”
Davis talked about competing in the pole vault and then running on relays.
“Sometimes it’s stressful if pole vault is going on as the same time as the running,” Davis said. “Like today, I got done before the running, so that was alright.”
Bentley Bauer of Mobridge-Pollock was also busy running from event to event. The eighth-grader finished second in the long jump, and won the 100-meter dash, 400-meter dash, and ran on the winning 800-meter relay team.
Bauer trailed Ipswich’s Marley Guthmiller for nearly the entire way in the 400 before pulling out a win at the finish.
“So it’s something me and my mom have always worked on ever since I was little is finishing strong,” Bauer said, “and in doing that, pumping your arms really hard and relaxed breathing all the way through.”
Bauer nearly ran out of time, but managed to pull off the come-from-behind win.
“I think that I do need to get out stronger than I did,” Bauer said, “but in the end, I could see that she was slowing down and I was just speeding up.”
Bauer has a couple of events that are her favorites.
“The 100 and long jump. Long jump has always really been my number one, but 100 is a pretty close second,” she said. “I love how both events have so much energy and excitement.”
Bauer is also a member of the Tigers softball team, but said track is a priority.
“It’s hard to go back and forth, but obviously I come from more of a track family,” Bauer said. “My mom (Stacy) did track and that’s one of her favorite things is track and watching her kids run.”
Bauer has extra motivation this spring. When she does well, she gets to add to her cat collection.
“Little kittens. I love ‘em,” said Bauer, who currently has three of the small felines at her house.
So after Thursday’s performance does that mean she gets to add another one?
“I’m really hoping,” Bauer said, “but I don’t know if my mom is going to go for four cats, and we’re all allergic, too.”
Groton’s Jayden Schwan won the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs, and also helped an opposing team run its top time in the 3,200-meter relay. Faulkton won that event, thanks in part to Schwan, who tried to catch Faulkton’s Korbin Stark on the final leg.
“I for sure thought about it, because he’s a great runner,” Stark said of trying to stay in front of Schwan. “You’re never really safe if he’s got a few meters behind you, but it was extra motivation because we really wanted to get a good time today with all the good conditions. Being first was a plus, but we were really just going for time.”
While Stark had a solid lead heading into the last two laps, he could tell that Schwan was lurking not far behind.
“I had a someone over at the 200 split telling me where he was at and everyone was just kind of telling me I needed to keep my pace,” Stark said, “because he was starting to close the gap a little bit. … I was really happy our third runner kind of gave me a comfortable lead going into it.”
Stark finished second to Schwan in the 1,600 and ran a quality time because of it.
“He’s a great runner and he’s a really nice guy. He’s easy to talk to,” Stark said. “He kind of helps pace a little bit. Just trying to chase him around a little bit really helps me improve my time, because I know if I’m staying somewhat close to him I’m in pretty good shape.”
Other multiple individual winners on the day included Warner’s Beckham Cantalope in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, Kellen Pfitzer of Mobridge-Pollock in the shot put and discus, Ella Boekelheide of Northwestern in the 800 and 1,600 (also ran on the winning 1,600 relay), and Ipswich’s Tristan Geditz in the shot put and discus.
Aberdeen Roncalli was led by Austin Fisher who was second in the 110 hurdles and high jump, Kadince Glynn who was second in the 300 hurdles, and Christina Mitzel who was second in the shot put.
“It was a great day,” said Roncalli co-coach Jackie Braun. “We were so happy to partner with Warner to host a meet with lots of phenomenal athletes and we got to participate at a fantastic facility.”
To see complete meet results, click on the following link:
