B-E boys win first two events at Howard Wood

SIOUX FALLS — Before Saturday, the Bridgewater-Emery boys’ track and field team had never won an event in the history of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays.

Kyelle Herrick, Coleman Haiar, Jacob Schweitzer and Tyson Kayser changed that — twice.

The group won the Class B sprint medley and the 800-meter relays Saturday in Sioux Falls. Bridgewater-Emery won the 800-meter relay on a photo finish when Kayser made up about “20 to 25 meters” entering the final handoff, according to Schweitzer.

“We had trouble with the handoff,” said Schweitzer, who exchanged the baton to Kayser, “but then he just took off.”

Bridgewater-Emery won the 800-meter relay with a time of 1 minute, 34.57 seconds over Gettysburg by two one-hundredths of a second. Langford Area finished third at 1:34.67. Bridgewater-Emery, which already had qualified for the Class B state track meet in the 800, bested its previous qualifying time of 1:35.77. The group, which ran together last year, did not qualify for the 2010 state track meet in the 800 relay, but took seventh in the sprint medley last year.

The same group won the sprint medley Saturday with a 3:45.96, which was more than two seconds faster than second-place Colman-Egan. It is also qualified for the state meet in the sprint medley, too.

By winning both events at Howard Wood, does this make the team the group the state favorite?

“Canistota is really good,” Schweitzer said. “But after we ran this time, I think we can stick right there with them.”

The Freeman Academy girls also won a relay Saturday at Howard Wood. The team — which consisted of Sara Friesen, Kristin Waltner, Karina Ortman and Lillie Koerner — won the Class B sprint medley in a time of 4 minutes, 17.75 seconds.

Greenway sets Howard Wood record in 300 hurdles

SIOUX FALLS — Mitchell junior Jason Greenway tied a state record in the 300 hurdles Saturday at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays.

Greenway finished the event in 37.89 seconds for a Howard Wood record, which was set in 2010 by Dell Rapids’ Matt Dunbar, who ran a 38.51. Greenway finished second last year at Howard Wood with a 39.02 in the same event.

Greenway’s time Saturday tied a record that’s been held since 1988, but Mitchell coach Geoff Gross couldn’t remember the record holder Greenway is now tied with.

“He just went out and had the right setting and the right competition,” Gross said. “It was perfect. There was no wind and it was a 70-degree day.”

Last year, Greenway finished eighth at the Class AA state track and field meet in the 300 hurdles. Gross said Greenway was the favorite going into the meet, but an injury forced him to jog the event.

“It’s his race to lose,” Gross said. “Everybody is coming to get him and he’s clearly the favorite.”

Mitchell’s Dana Misiaszek took seventh in the high jump Saturday at Howard Wood. Her mark of 5-feet-2 tied her with eight other jumpers for seventh place. Arlington’s Kelsey Kaufmann won in a jump-off at 5-feet-6.

“That’s phenomenal for Dana,” Gross said. “That puts her in a position that if she has a good day at the state meet, she could place.”

Justin Greenway, who took second in the 400-meter dash special event Friday at Howard Wood, finished sixth in the 100-meter dash with a mark of 11.34 seconds and Mitchell’s girls’ sprint medley relay took eighth, Gross said.

Andes Central graduate Snyder takes fourth in college shot

SIOUX FALLS — Andes Central graduate Cody Snyder took fourth place in the college shot put Saturday at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays.

Snyder, who set the Howard Wood record in the discus competition last year with a toss of 191-feet-6 as a senior in high school, is in his freshman year with the University of South Dakota track and field team.

Saturday, his shot put mark of 46-feet-1.5 was 5 feet, 8.25 inches short of South Dakota State’s Sean Burn’s winning mark.

Snyder competes in the shot and discus for the Coyotes. On Friday, he won the discus competition with a throw of 162-feet-3.

“In college track, I’d like to win a national championship,” Synder said. “It will probably take until my senior year, but I think it’s possible.”

Snyder’s teammate, Gregory native Alexa Duling, won the 100 hurdles Saturday with a time of 14.32, which bested teammate Haley Juhnke, a Lyman High School graduate, by 0.38 of a second.

Luke Hauert, a Stickney High graduate, won the 110 hurdles for Northern State Saturday. He won the event with a time of 14.48 seconds, and he took second in the 400 hurdles at 54.55.

Wagner’s Koupal signs at Augustana

SIOUX FALLS — Wagner senior Jessica Koupal has signed with Augustana, coach John Tyler confirmed Sunday.

Koupal is a two-time Class A pole vault champion and one-time 100-meter hurdle state champion.

Koupal took fifth in the pole vault Saturday at Howard Wood with a mark of 10-feet-6.

“(Augustana) was willing to give her a pretty good financial package with her academics and athletics,” Tyler said.

Tyler said the University of South Dakota and Sioux Falls were also interested in Koupal, whose best pole vault mark this year is 11-feet-3. She also has a 15.7 second 100-meter hurdle time.

“It was a good feeling thing is how she explained it to me,” Tyler said.

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