IPSWICH – On the surface, it simply looks like four athletes running as fast as they can, handing a baton off to waiting teammates.

In reality, everything is calculated with a desired end in mind for Ipswich track and field coach Todd Thorson.

The veteran coach constructs his relays event by event with a reason behind each decision.

“We always run our 4x1s just about the best we can every meet,” Thorson said, “because the handoffs are by far the most important in a 4X1.”

From there, the Tigers focus on the longest relays next, gearing up for their biggest regular-season meet of the season.

“Then we usually try to go longest to shortest,” Thorson said of his relay pattern. “So we try to knock out the 4X8 and run that as hard as we can until we get a good enough time where we feel we can get to Howard Wood.”

Thorson noted that the 3,200-meter relay is one of the first events at a meet, so he likes his runners to be fresh for that in order to get a solid time.

“I think you get tired throughout the day,” he said. “We kind of just focus on that. If we get a good mark, then we’re done with it.”

So why do the Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls factor so prominently into what the Tigers try to get accomplished the first half of the season? Because a top time secures a spot at the table with the best competition the state has to offer.

“We try to shore up our relays early in the year so we can try to get into Howard Wood, because it seems like when there’s 3,000 athletes you’re going to have good competition,” Thorson said. “And typically a lot of our best times and marks for the entire season until state are there.”

Ipswich clocked its best times of the season in the 400 and 800 relays on Tuesday at the Rob Luecke Invitational in Groton. The Tigers broke a school record in the 400. Ipswich has the second best times in Class B in both events and is third in each of the other three relay races.

The scary part is, the team hasn’t started its next phase of training yet so Ipswich will likely clock faster times in the future.

“We’re kind of in our base days,” Thorson said. “We haven’t done a lot of real fast stuff, yet, so that’s a good sign.”

He noted that there are many other variables at work besides what happens in practice. Things like personal habits play a huge role in the performance of each athlete.

“You can still make mistakes in the training,” Thorson pointed out. “I don’t know if they’re getting their sleep for sure. I don’t know if they’re eating right. That’s on them.”

And while Thorson is focused on peak performances at the state meet in late May, he noted that he wants all of his athletes to have a good experience in the sport.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re going to state or not. I just want to put every kid in the best position possible to feel like they’re improving,” Thorson said. “That’s truly like the whole goal for the whole year. I don’t just throw them in events. I want them to feel good at the end of the day, like they’re working towards a goal that they set and they’re improving.”

Within that methodology wrapped around track and field, comes a valuable life lesson that Thorson hopes his athletes will carry with them long after they are done competing for the Tigers.

“Hard work equals success. If you work hard you can improve,” Thorson said. “I like to teach them that lesson because that carries over for the rest of their life. Sometimes we emphasize Howard Wood and state, but in the end when I do entries, I want every kid to feel good about themselves.”

LEADING THE WAY

Parity has hit the track and field leaders as there are no longer any athletes that lead more than two individual events (there were two of them last week).

There are currently 20 athletes who are on top of two individual events, including Aberdeen Central’s Sam Rohlfs who lead the AA boys in the long jump and triple jump.

Things are exceptionally balanced in the Class AA girls, where just one athlete leads more than one individual event.

BY THE NUMBERS

A pair of Class B teams have dominant leads on events this week. The Chester Area boys top eight events, while the Colman-Egan girls lead seven events. Sioux Falls Christian also has a firm lead atop the Class A girls leading six events.

However, things are tight in the other divisions this week. Brandon Valley leads six events in Class AA boys with Rapid City Stevens leading five. Brandon Valley and O’Gorman top five events each in the Class AA girls. Things are really bunched up in Class A boys where Belle Fourche and Milbank Area each lead four events, and Sioux Falls Christian leads three.