REDFIELD – For some it was the first outdoor track and field meet of the season and for all it was the best conditions they had to compete in so far this spring during the Redfield Relays on Thursday.

One of those who had a big day was Northwestern senior Jessica Boekelheide. The sprinter won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and ran a leg on the winning 400-meter relay.

While Boekelheide said she enjoys competing against others, her times are the most important thing to her.

“I do care about time. It’s objective so I can compare it to last year and see my improvement,” Boekelheide said, “whereas girls are also improving, it’s important to base how you’re doing off of other people, but also the objective time is the most important.”

Boekelheide, who used to run more middle distances, began running sprint races last season. She said she is getting more consistent.

“I practice the blocks a lot,” Boekelheide said, “a lot more than last year. The start is very important and I still have a lot of work to do.”

The Wildcats have solid relay teams despite having to make the best of a tough situation. Northwestern does not have a track, so team members practice handoffs running up and down the streets of Mellette.

“It’s a little more difficult because we don’t have a track. We do the best we can,” Boekelheide said. “Before a meet we’ll go on the track and run through it a few times with the arrows (exchange zones) and considering the curve.”

Like Boekelheide, Aberdeen Roncalli’s Jayden Munroe is also growing more accustomed to his new event. The junior began triple jumping last season. He placed fourth at state last year and won the event on Thursday.

“For sure it got a lot easier,” Munroe said of his improvement in the event. “It’s still really hard to do.”

Munroe scratched on two of his attempts, but made the most of the jump that counted to win the event. He said he had to make an adjustment following his first scratch to make sure he at least got a mark on the day.

“I kind of just go talk to my coach,” Munroe said. “We go back or go forward (on my approach), but I get a little more conservative.”

Munroe is also a key member of a Cavaliers relay squad. The junior said he enjoys individual events a bit more for one main reason.

“I feel like I run better on an open event,” Munroe said. “There’s not as much pressure – you don’t let your teammates down.”

Emma Muggli of Oakes, N.D., has transitioned from a jumper to a hurdler. The junior still jumps (she finished second in the triple jump on Thursday), but she is also a standout hurdler. She won both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles on the day.

“I started out as a jumper,” Muggli said “but when I got older my coaches told me I should try hurdles because my legs are long and I have endurance for the 300, so that’s how I got into hurdles.”

Muggli who was third in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles at state last season, said there is lot of technique involved with hurdles, especially the shorter race.

“I try to three-step every hurdle so you go over with the same leg every time,” Muggli said of the 100 hurdles, “so it’s a lot of technique and practice.”

Muggli was runner-up to Aberdeen Roncalli’s Morgan Fielder in the triple jump. Fiedler had a big day as well, winning both the long jump and triple jump, finishing second to Boekelheide in the 200, and running on the winning 800-meter relay squad along with Jaidyn Feickert, Ella Ulmer and Sarah Schmidt.

The meet featured 22 teams from all across the state including the likes of Colome, Gregory and Chamberlain as athletes have been searching for competition to make up for meets that have been canceled because of poor weather.

Roncalli coach Mark Stone was pleased that his athletes were able to compete at a high level after having to train in less than ideal conditions so far this spring.

“I don’t remember a day where we had such wide spread personal best performances,” Stone said. “Some of them were enough personal bests to take home a medal and some were not, but nonetheless a personal best is a personal best.”

Stone said that Thursday’s were results in decent weather came about because of time put in during tough conditions.

“Today a lot of our personal bests are a direct result of the effort the kids have given in the last few weeks when the weather has not been the most ideal,” Stone said, “and for that we’re really proud of them.”

Aberdeen Christian also had a solid day. Shawnteah La Croix continues to lead the Knights in the sprints.

The eighth-grader finished third in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the 200.

“Shawnteah ran pretty well in a nice 100-meter finals heat,” said Christian coach Sam Bjorkman. “I just want to see her keep growing and developing little by little. She’s young and we want to see her succeed long term.”

Meanwhile the girls’ relay teams are also coming around, according to Bjorkman.

“The 4X800 is looking like we maybe found our fourth runner with Grace Kaiser,” Bjorkman said. “She’s just getting going and ran a good 8 in the relay today.”

On the boys’ side, Bjorkman noted that Ben Rohl looked sharp coming back from an injury.

“Ben Rohl got his first healthy meet in,” Bjorkman said. “It was good to see him in the finals (in the 100), and anchoring a good 4X1.”

Bjorkman also noted the performance of James Behan.

“It was good to see him healthy and fast – 24.6 in his first 200,” Bjorkman said.

To see complete meet results, click on the following link:

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/452242/results/all