BROOKINGS, S.D. — The Watertown track and field team opened its season Saturday at the Ruth Marske Invitational, powered by dominant performances in the vertical jumps and distance events.
Mason Iverson led the way for the boys, clearing 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump to claim third place. Teammate Merrik Engell followed in eighth place with a height of 5-10. In the pole vault, Charlie Whiting cleared 14-00 to take fourth, while Asher Young finished fifth at 13-00.
On the track, the boys’ 4×100-meter relay team of Noah Dagel, Whiting, Young, and Lincoln Schutt clocked a 45.30 to place 12th. In the field, Hunter Peterson threw 45-07.25 for 10th in shot put, and Owen Engelbrecht took 10th in the triple jump with a leap of 10.69 meters.
The Watertown girls were led by Elly Dingsor, who tied for first place in the pole vault by clearing 11-06. Hensley Houge added to the vaulting success, taking third at 10-00. In the high jump, Mayla McGhee tied for fifth place with a leap of 5-02.
Grace McElroy delivered a standout performance on the track, winning the 3,200-meter run in 11:42.84 and adding a seventh-place finish in the 1,600 meters (5:27.80). Sprinter Alayna Smith secured fifth in the 200 meters (26.79) and joined Anna Hirtz to finish in the top 15 of the 100-meter dash. Smith and Hirtz also teamed up with Brook Grajczyk and Ashlynn Andrews to take eighth in the 4×100 relay (51.17).
In horizontal jumps and throws, Shauna Evenson placed second in the triple jump (10.43m), while Cadence Weidner finished 11th in the long jump and 12th in the triple jump. Allison Konrad (32-08.25) and Eden Hach (32-02.75) finished 11th and 14th, respectively, in the shot put.
Watertown returns to competition Thursday, April 2, at the Thundering Herd Classic in Fargo, N.D.
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