GROTON – Records were broken and stars shined at the Northeast Conference track and field meet on Thursday.

Milbank Area took home both team titles, as the Bulldog girls won with a score of 180, while the boys finished with a score of 166.

The highlight on the girls’ side came from Hamlin’s Gracelyn Leiseth, who posted a personal best, meet record, and state record all in one throw in the discus. Leiseth, who last month established a new all-time state record in the event, topped her previous best mark with a throw of 175-feet, 3-inches. Leiseth also won the shot put with a throw of 45-feet, 6.5-inches, edging out teammate Kami Wadsworth (41-feet, 5.5-inches). Shayne Fritz also won the high jump for the Chargers.

Redfield’s Camryn Rohlfs captured all four of the Pheasants’ wins. Rohlfs won the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter dashes, as well as the long jump. The senior edged out Milbank’s Siera Wenzl by one one-hundredth of a second to earn a thrilling victory in the 400-meter dash.

“That 400-meter dash was a pretty hard battle at the end, but I pulled it off,” Rohlfs said after the win. “I wanted it really badly. I’m proud of myself for pulling out that 400-meter dash.”

Clark-Willow Lake won four events, including two individual wins by seventh-grader Kamryn Nesheim, who earned wins in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs. She was also a part of the 3,200-meter relay team that also earned a win.

Nesheim described her strategy during her 1,600-meter victory.

“Well, I followed Jaycee Hourigan (of Deuel) around because she got out really fast and I was just gonna stay with her,” Nesheim said. “Then she started to slow down on that back stretch and that’s when I was gonna make my move and pass her.”

Nesheim noted that she and her teammates have been working hard at getting better as the season has gone on.

“Our relays have PR’d almost every meet, and our times have also improved every meet. No one has slowed down and every day we’re just getting better,” Nesheim said. “We’re starting to take it easy, but we also have to train hard and get yourself faster and keep the momentum going with getting faster.”

The Cyclones’ Sara Thonvold also picked up a win in the 100-meter hurdles.

The team champion Bulldogs from Milbank Area won four events, with Nadia Thue (300-meter intermediate hurdles) and Jacy Dexter (pole vault) picking up individual wins. The Bulldogs also won the 400-meter and 800-meter relays.

Other girls’ champions included Hourigan in the 3,200-meter run, and Groton’s Aspen Johnson in the triple jump. The Tigers also won a pair of relays (1,600-meter and Sprint Medley).

Although there were no wins for the Aberdeen Roncalli girls, coach Brady Lesnar felt the team competed well.

“I felt Paige Schmidt had a really good meet. She contributed a lot. She ran the 4×8, she ran in the medley, and she ran in the two-mile,” Lesnar said. “I know she was pretty gassed in the two-mile, but she ran it to score some points, and she did a really good job for us.”

Lesnar also noted that Addison Cassady also scored points for the team, as well as Sarah Schmidt, and was happy with where the team finished.

“Our girls tied for sixth overall with Webster, and they’ve got a pretty good program,” Lesnar said. “There’s a lot of really good teams this year. I thought we did good.”

On the boys’ side, Roncalli’s Jayden Munroe continued his impressive season by posting wins in the 400-meter dash and long jump. Munroe said he is looking forward to setting personal bests as the region and state meets draw near.

“I’m looking forward to the triple jump. I’m looking at the PR and I really think I can get it,” Munroe said. “I pushed myself up in the 400 a little bit, so I’m really excited to run that there, and I’m really excited to jump too.”

Lesnar was impressed with how Munroe continues to improve.

“Jayden Munroe had a really good meet,” Lesnar said. “He dropped his time in the 400. He ran a 52.1, which is good. It moves him on the list for top-24.”

Overall, Lesnar felt the Cavalier boys did well in several events despite not winning them. “I thought overall our relays were pretty solid. Guys came and competed,” Lesnar said.

Webster won a meet-high seven events, led by Jeron McCreary’s pair of wins in the 300-meter hurdles and high jump. The Bearcats also earned wins in the 800-meter relay, 200-meter dash (Gavin Witt), shot put (Matthew Mount), pole vault (Drew Reetz), and triple jump (Jacob Keller).

Deuel had four individual wins, including a pair from Ricky Berndt in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs. Oliver Fieber won the 100-meter dash, while Gabe Sather captured the 110-meter high hurdles title.

Sather felt he ran a good race and even though he clipped a hurdle during the event.

“I came into it pretty sore, but I still PR’d by a little bit,” Sather said. “I hit the last hurdle, so I thought I could’ve gone a little faster, but still felt great overall. Great start. Great competition.”

Sather said he has been hard at work getting ready for the region and state meets.

“I’ve just been focusing on my form, especially my trail leg,” Sather said. “I’m hoping to get onto the podium at the state meet.”

Groton picked up a trio of relay wins, including the 400-meter, 1,600-meter, and Sprint Medley. Milbank Area’s James Batchelor won the 3,200-meter run, while the Bulldogs also won the 3,200-meter relay. Hamlin’s Kaden St. Pierre captured the discus title.

The Cavaliers will now turn their focus to the Region 1A meet next week in Groton where Lesnar says they will need to look at what the team needs to improve on.

“Now we’ve gotta do a little bit of a reassessment and be like ‘Ok what do we need to work on, what do we need to try to clean up?’ so we can get a few more kids at state, and definitely go that route,” Lesnar said. “It’s kind of your last chance of the year, so hopefully our kids can hit the marks that they need to and get an extra week.”

For complete results, click on the following link:

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/508579/results/all