News

High School Track and Field season is back in full swing, and that means the return of the "Varsity Sports" Platinum Leaderboard! If you recall from last year, we kept track of the best performances of the season in every individual event held in both North and South Dakota and awarded Platinum Medals at season’s end to the winners. In our continued effort to tear down borders, we’re doing so again this spring...

For a mark or time to count, it must take place at a sanctioned meet in the Dakotas. We're also using fully automatic times (FAT) or converting handheld times to FAT, so in case you see a mark that you feel isn't correct or know of a mark that's better, the conversion factor is likely why it's not on this list. (...Or I could have just missed it. It's a big territory to keep track of.)

Although it’s early, let’s take a look at the first Platinum Leaderboard of 2016…

Boys Platinum Leaderboard                                                                                                                       Platinum Record

100m : Sam Clark, Baltic – 10.54 (Chester Booster Club Meet, 4/12)                                                         10.54^  

200m : Sam Clark, Baltic – 22.44 (Chester Booster Club Meet, 4/12)                                                         21.77

400m : Paul Paul, Harrisburg – 49.91 (Tiger Invite, 4/5)                                                                                   47.54*

800m : Beau Brannan, Bismarck Legacy – 1:58.69 (Bismarck Karlgaard, 4/8)                                      1:52.38

1600m : Jakob Hanna, Brandon Valley – 4:27.72 (Tiger Invite, 4/5)                                                            4:14.4

3200m : Derick Peters, West Central – 9:49.54 (Fighting Cougar Invite, 4/12)                                       8:58.49

110m Hurdles : Bryce Malsam, Edmunds Central – 14.98 (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                            14.15

300m Hurdles : Bryce Malsam, Edmunds Central – 40.28 (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                            38.56

Shot Put : Maxwell Reinke, Pierre – 53-11.5 (Bob Judson Invite, 4/5)                                                          63-6.5

Discus : Austin Hauschild, SF Lincoln – 163-3 (Tiger Invite, 4/5)                                                                  178-1

High Jump : Jaxon Hinch, Spearfish – 6-9^ (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                                                         6-9^      

Long Jump : Eric Looby, SF Lincoln – 22-4 (Tiger Invite, 4/5)                                                                         23-0.5

Triple Jump : Luke Fritsch, O’Gorman – 44-3 (O’Gorman Triangular, 4/12)                                                47-3

Pole Vault : Anthony Andera – 14-0 (Rob Leucke Invite, 4/12)                                                                       16-0

Totals: 11/14 from South Dakota, 9/14 from the biggest class in either state

Girls Platinum Leaderboard                                                                                                                     Platinum Record

100m : Cortney Dowling, Pierre – 12.03 (Bob Judson Invite, 4/5)                                                               12.04

200m : Hannah Young, RC Central – 25.66 (Bob Judson Invite, 4/5)                                                           24.94

400m : Shayla Howell, Belle Fourche – 58.04 (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                                                   55.87

800m : Kendra Dykstra, RC Stevens – 2:18.25 (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                                               2:11.19

1600m : Kelby Anderson, Bismarck Century – 5:04.41 (Pankratz Invite, 4/8)                                        4:56.89

3200m : Peyton Frolek, MWL – 11:17.3 (Kindred Invite, 4/5)                                                                       10:33.49

110m Hurdles : Shannon Duffy, St. Thomas More – 15.22 (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                              14.54

300m Hurdles : Julianne Thomsen, Custer – 46.14 (Douglas Early Bird Meet, 5/2)                               44.10

Shot Put : Izzy VanVeldhuizen, SF Lincoln – 40-10.25 (Yankton Quad, 4/12)                                              47-2

Discus : Callie Henrich, RC Stevens – 129-6 (Queen City Classic, 4/8)                                                     141-2

High Jump : Michelle Johnson, RC Central – 5-4 (Douglas Early Bird Meet, 5/2)                                       5-6

Long Jump : Michaela Mohr, SF Lincoln – 18-0.5 (Yankton Quad, 4/12)                                                      18-5.5

Triple Jump : Ryley Heier, SF Lincoln – 36-11.5 (Tiger Invite, 4/5)                                                               37-6.25

Pole Vault : Jade Derby, Lead-Deadwood – 10-9 (Douglas Early Bird Meet, 5/2)                                      11-9

Totals: 12/14 from South Dakota, 8/14 from the biggest class in either state

*State Record       ^Set This Year

If you've got a mark that you think qualifies as Platinum, feel free to email me at alex.heinert@midco.com with the athlete, the time, and the meet at which it took place. Keep it Platinum, friends...