SIOUX FALLS – While there were no area champions in Class A during the opening day of the State Track and Field Meet, there were plenty of championship efforts at Howard Wood Field on Thursday.

Faith Heil of Mobridge-Pollock left it all on the track to help lead her team to a heat victory and ultimately a seventh-place finish in the sprint medley relay.

The freshman found herself in a three-way battle heading down the stretch and used strategy and determination to beat the other two runners to the finish.

“I was waiting for them to pass me on the corners,” Heil said. “That’s like 15 extra steps if you try to pass someone there, so I waited for the last 100 and I was like, ‘not happening,’ because we want to place in this.”

Heil, who was part of a state championship relay squad last season, said strategy played a big role in the race.

“They kicked too early,” she said. “You have to wait one second when they die.”

When asked if we’ve seen the best of the Tigers on the weekend, Heil responded, “Nope, we’ve got more. We have a lot more.”

Another Tiger, this one from Groton, also had a key leg in a relay.

Groton eighth-grader Kella Tracy learned a valuable lesson from last year’s state meet when she used up too much energy early in the race.

“Before the race, I told all the kids, someone please remind me not to sprint the first 500 and pace out or something,” Tracy said. “I was like, OK we got this. This is our redemption year.”

Tracy did her best to put her squad in a position to succeed with a strong second-leg effort, which had her chasing down the runner in front of her before handing off the baton.

“The first lap I was like, OK I’m not going to think about anything, so I don’t sprint the first,” Tracy said. “Once she pulled ahead I was like, OK maybe I should give up. Then she was right there when I came around and I’m like we got this and I just turned it on and passed her.”

Tracy said she received plenty of motivation from her coach as she was rounding the track.

“I could hear him yelling at me, ‘Don’t you dare slow down!'” Tracy said.

Hamlin’s Cristhian Rodriquez had a big day in the discus. The junior was ranked 17th heading into the competition and came away with third place.

“I came in at 17^th place thinking I’ve got a few guys ahead of me, but nothing is impossible until you do it,” Rodriguez said. “I felt really not good during warmups and then my first throw I PR’d by two feet. My second one I hit 150, so it felt good today.”

Rodriguez, who won the unofficial state championship in the javelin about two weeks ago, is part of a strong delegation of throwers from the northeast part of the state. He said that definitely makes a difference.

“I’m pretty close with all them,” Rodriguez said, “especially, the one from Estelline, Jon Nefzger. We’ve played baseball together for three years.”

Lucas Johnson of Great Plains Lutheran was part of a tight group in the high jump, finishing with a six-way tie for fourth.

The freshman, competing in his first state meet, said concentration is clutch when it comes to jumping.

“Usually what I’ve found helpful is I usually just take a couple of seconds to clear my mind and get the height of the bar out of your head, because that can mess with you,” Johnson said. “Get everything out, all the distractions and everything, focus on the rhythm and you’re technique you’ve been practicing for and just go for it.”

Johnson enjoyed his first taste of the state meet, and he plans on coming back even stronger in the future.

“I think I’ll be coming back next year hitting it a little harder next time,” he said.

Aberdeen Roncalli competed in three events on the day.

Parker Grieben finished 10th overall in the 110-meter hurdle prelims.

“He ran about a half second faster than he has all season, so that’s great,” said Roncalli coach Brady Lesnar.

The Cavaliers were also in the 3,200-meter relays for both boys and girls.

“I thought our kids ran well,” Lesnar said. “Our girls were a little shorter on their best time, but they still competed.”

Lesnar noted that the boys finished better than what they came in rated.

“It was a good race for them,” he said. “It was a good way for them to finish off their season.”

Roncalli will be back in action when the meet continues today.

To see complete opening day results, click on the following link:

https://results.dakotatiming.com/display.html?event_id=1245