Dakota Relays notebook: State title comes into focus for Wessington Springs 4x800 relay team after huge win

May 1—SIOUX FALLS — With 50 meters to go, Wessington Springs' Dylan Schimke was just ready for the race to be over.

Except he had just pulled even with Hanson's Thailan Hallman in the final leg of the Class B 4x800 relay at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays Friday. Schimke knew once he pulled even with Hallman, the race was his. He pulled ahead meters from the finish line, giving Wessington Springs the win in 8 minutes, 43.24 seconds, topping the Beavers by 0.24 seconds.

Hanson entered the race with the best time in Class B this season, but the Spartan foursome of A.J. Neely, Blake Larson, Carter Grohs and Schimke ran 10 seconds faster than their season-best, overtaking the top time in Class B and putting the program's first state relay championship into focus for the first time since winning the sprint medley in 2010.

"It puts a lot of confidence in us," Neely said. "We know where we're at, we know what we can do, but it also helps us know that now that we've won Howard Wood, we're going to have a huge target on our backs. We have the No. 1 time in Class B, so we're going to have a definite target on our backs."

Grohs took the baton with the lead in the third leg and simply had to fend off Hanson's Jackson Jarding. He was able to do so, but Hallman shot out of the gates and opened a 10-meter advantage through the first 400 meters, enough that Schimke was concerned his opponent was about to pull away.

Schimke's teammates were less concerned, however, knowing he could make up the distance and by the 200-meter turn, it was evident Schimke was about to pull even or pass Hallman on the straightaway.

"I had trust in my guy to finish," Larson said. "He's been doing it all year and we gave him a chance to win the race for us. We had trust in him and it was just a good race."

Fritz rebounds from slow start to win long jump

The last time Brady Fritz competed at Howard Field, he pulled his hamstring and had to scratch from his final two events of the 2019 state meet. The Winner senior returned to the venue for the first time, holding the state's top mark in the long jump.

Despite believing that he did not put forth his best performance, Fritz took first place with a leap of 23 feet, beating Aberdeen Central's Sam Rohlfs and Belle Fourche's Aiden Griffin by 10 inches. The mark was the best of Fritz's career and lengthens his state lead.

"I haven't been able to perform to my abilities in track when it comes to big meets like this," Fritz said. "Coming in with the top mark, I felt like I had something to prove and I'm happy I was able to do that today."

Fritz struggled with his footing on nearly all of his six jumps on the day, which included a 16-foot, 5-inch jump on his first attempt. Through his first five attempts, Fritz never jumped further than 21 feet, 9 inches, far short of his previous best of 22 feet, 6 1/2 inches.

Fritz finally put together a strong jump on his last attempt, but the performance gives him some room for improvement heading into the final month of the season.

"I feel like I have more in the tank technique-wise," Fritz said. "(Twenty-three feet) being my last jump and being a little tired, compared to the fresh legs in the first couple jumps, so I feel like I can definitely go longer."

Fritz will compete in the 200-meter dash Saturday.

Peters ties fourth-best pole vault mark in state history

One Jaden Peters' remaining goals was to win the Dakota Relays and did so by setting a new personal record. The Wagner senior was the lone participant to hit 15 feet and he went on to clear 15 feet, 6 inches.

The vault is tied for fourth in South Dakota history with Huron's Trent Francom — currently vaulting at South Dakota State University — who hit his mark at the 2017 Class AA state meet. Grand Forks Central (North Dakota)'s Jak Urlacher was second on the day at 14 feet, 6 inches.

Peters took a crack at the state record of 16 feet, 1 inch, which would have broken the Dakota Relays record, but he missed on all three attempts. Now he's focused on breaking the state record before the state meet.

"I don't want it to come down to the last meet and feel like I need to do this," Peters said. "I don't like feeling pressure and everything I do now — I want to prove it to myself that I can do it. Losing out on last year (due to COVID) and I want to make it the best year possible."

Hanson won the Class B boys sprint medley, as the team of Kade Waldera, Hadley Wallace, Isaac Tuschen and Hallman won in a time of 3 minutes, 49.04 seconds as Hallman pulled ahead in the final 200 meters.

Mount Vernon/Plankinton's Emilee Fox, Suri Schmidt, Maria Baker and Berkeley Engelland won the girls 4x4800 relay in 9 minutes, 54.10 seconds, besting second-place Custer by more than three seconds.

Sioux Falls O'Gorman's Libby Castelli, Grace Waage, Ruth Pardy and Alea Hardie won the Class AA 4x800 relay in 9 minutes, 18.47 seconds, which is good enough for the third-best prep time in the United States.