WATERTOWN, S.D. — After a three-year delay, the Watoma Relays were back Friday at the newly renovated Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex in Watertown. Local and regional athletes marked the return to the facility with a series of standout performances, headlined by Watertown’s Alayna Smith and a commanding showing from the Arrow field event specialists.
Smith paced the Watertown girls with a pair of individual victories, claiming the 100-meter dash in 12.30 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 25.67. Teammate Anna Hirtz followed closely behind, securing second place in both events (12.38 and 25.89). The duo also anchored the winning 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams, helping the Arrows post times of 49.12 and 1:45.25, respectively.
In the distance events, Grace McElroy took first place in the 3,200 meters with a time of 11:28.60. Kate McElroy followed to secure second place, crossing the finish line in 12:09.99.
The Watertown boys found their rhythm in the jumps and throws at the updated complex. Charlie Whiting cleared 14 feet, 6 inches to take the pole vault title, while Carter Clark won the triple jump with a leap of 40-6.75. On the track, Dane Stark led the way with a first-place finish in the 800 meters, crossing the line in 1:58.02.
Regional Standouts
The surrounding area saw several athletes climb to the top of the podium on the new surface. Great Plains Lutheran’s Lucas Johnson cleared 6-4 to win the high jump, edging out Watertown’s Kye Paulson (6-2). Clark/Willow Lake’s Michael Severson flexed his muscle in the shot put, recording a winning toss of 51-5.
Clark/Willow Lake also saw success on the girls’ side, as Kamryn Nesheim won the 1,600 meters in 5:22.12 and helped lead the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay team to a first-place finish (4:19.07).
Deuel’s Gavin Kloos had a busy day, taking second in the 100 meters (11.65) and leading the 4×100 relay team to a victory in 45.42. In the pole vault, Deuel’s Hannah Cutshaw cleared 11 feet to secure a second-place finish.
Hamlin showed its depth in the relays and throws. The boys’ 4×400 relay team of Gavin Maag, Jonathan Leonardi, Trig Heinrich, and Tylan Thue took first in 3:37.49, while Tate Everson earned second in the discus with a throw of 150-8.
Castlewood’s Brody Bass rounded out the top performances, placing second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.39) and contributing to a runner-up finish in the 4×200 relay.
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