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As we're doing every week this spring, it's time to check in on the best performances of the high school track and field season so far in every individual event held in both North and South Dakota, aka the "Varsity Sports" Platinum Leaderboard!

As always, for a mark or time to count, it must take place at a sanctioned meet in the Dakotas. We're 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.)

In advance of a busy weekend in track and field in the Dakotas, let's take a look at the second 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 – 49.31 (Corn Palace Relays, 4/16)                                                                 47.54*

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

1600m : Leif Everson, Williston – 4:18.97 (Duane Carlson Invite, 4/14)                                                       4:14.4

3200m : Gabe Peters, SF Lincoln – 9:45.65 (Corn Palace Relays, 4/16)                                                      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 : Alex Talley, West Fargo – 55-8 (West Fargo Quad, 4/14)                                                                63-6.5

Discus : Alex Talley, West Fargo – 167-5 (West Fargo Quad, 4/14)                                                                 178-1

High Jump : Zack Anderson, Parkston – 7-0 (Jesse James Meet, 4/16)                                                        7-0^      

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)

Devon Pope, GF Red River – 44-3  (Central vs Red River Dual, 4/15)                                                            47-3

Pole Vault : Mason Carpenter, Mitchell (Corn Palace Relays, 4/16) – 14-6                                                   16-0

Totals: 10/15 from South Dakota, 10/15 from the biggest class in either state

*State Record                    ^Set This Year

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 : Kelby Anderson, Bismarck Century – 11:03.05 (River City Invite, 4/14)                                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 : Akealy Moton, West Fargo – 45-1 (West Fargo Quad, 4/14)                                                         47-2

Discus : Izzy VanVeldhuizen, SF Lincoln – 136-6 (Corn Palace Relays, 4/16)                                           141-2

High Jump : Rachel Schumacher, Bismarck – 5-6~ (River City Invite, 4/14)                                             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 : Whitney Scott, Watertown – 11-6 (Brookings Dual, 4/12)                                                            11-9

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

*State Record                    ~Tied Mark from Last Year

With athletes getting closer to full strength and the weather near perfect this weekend, I'm betting a lot of these could very well change over the next few days. 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...