MILBANK – Track and field athletes took advantage of pristine weather conditions and solid competition to turn in memorable performances at the South Dakota National Guard meet on Friday.

No one had a bigger day than Kaleb Foltz of Tri-State who set a new school record in the 400-meter dash and also won the 800-meter run. The senior said the weather played a large role in his record-breaking performance.

“The weather is nice. I probably have to give a lot of it to weather,” Foltz said. “The wind is perfect right now. I couldn’t ask for a better day.”

The senior, who is headed to compete at Minnesota State in Mankato next season, clocked a time of :49.92 to shatter the old school record of :50.5 set more than 20 years ago.

“I knew I was close last year, so I’ve been really pushing for it and I was hoping I could get it done before the state meet,” Foltz said, “get it out of the way, so I could focus on that longer distance.”

He said he realized he had a shot at breaking the record when he glanced at the scoreboard heading down the home stretch.

“I was a little past the 100 (meter mark), and I looked up and I saw 40 (seconds),” Foltz said, “so I knew I still had 10 seconds, and I knew I could probably get there in 10 seconds.”

Groton’s Kella Tracy also had a big meet, running on two winning relay teams and also a runner-up squad. The freshman anchored all of those events.

“I’m always so nervous,” Tracy said, “but the adrenaline kicks in and you’re just like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got these guys.'”

While the Tigers haven’t had a ton of time to work on handoffs so far this spring, Tracy noted that most of the relay teams feature the same teammates which makes the baton transitions a bit easier.

“We have done handoffs, maybe twice, but also it’s the same teams for us over and over,” Tracy said, “so we mostly know the people we run with, so it’s easier for us to hand off and just kind of know the steps.”

Tracy said she likes the longer relays better than the short ones.

“I love the 4X8 and 4X4, those are my strongest two,” she said. “The sprints, just not really my cup of tea.”

It’s a bit different for Great Plains Lutheran sprinter Sophie Kannas. The senior won the 100-meter dash and also ran on a pair of winning relays for the Panthers.

Kannas said running on relay teams can increase stress, but can also reduce it, depending on your perspective.

“The stress makes me kick it in harder,” Kannas said, “but also I’m more relaxed because my teammates got this, and I’ve just got to finish it for them.”

Kannas, who said she likes the 4X2 and 200-meter dash the best, credited her teammates for her success in individual events as well.

“I kind of just rely on my teammates and just go for it,” Kannas said. “It takes a lot of encouragement, I guess.”

Milbank’s Emmett Hanson was one of several athletes to win multiple open events on the day. The junior won both the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

While he beat the field in both events, there was no denying which race is his favorite.

“Definitely the 110s,” Hanson said. “The 300s are a just a bit too long for me.”

With his long strides, his body says 300. “It does,” Hanson said, “but my brain says 110.”

Hanson, whose dad still owns hurdles records at Wilmot High School, said he sizes up the competition as much as he can before he steps to the line to compete.

“I definitely know who they are and see where they’ve been,” he said, “and what races they do and their times, to push myself.”

While Hanson hopes to own his own records someday, his immediate goal to is to place at the state meet this spring in both hurdles races.

“Hopefully, I can get on that podium,” Hanson said.

Other double open event winners on the day included Keegan Tracy of Groton in the boys’ 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, and Ella Boekelheide of Northwestern in the girls’ 400-meter dash and 3,200-meter run.

Aberdeen Roncalli had several notable performances during the meet, including grabbing three of the top five spots in the pole vault with Matthew Peterson second, Beau Price third, and Isaac Price fifth.

“We don’t have our full squad because of our school play and we have a lot of kids going there, but we had some pretty exciting things happen today, I thought,” said Roncalli coach Brady Lesnar. “Our boys 4X8 ran exceptionally well. They were about four seconds faster than our fastest time from last year and this is their first time running it this year, so very good to see.”

Lesnar also pointed out the efforts of Parker Grieben, who was runner-up to Hanson.

“I thought Parker Grieben had a good hurdle day between the 110s and the 300s,” Lesnar said. “He got second in both races.”

And then there was the pole vault event, where the Cavaliers not only excelled in the boys’ division, but also had a strong effort from a girls’ vaulter.

“I thought Mataya Henrich did well in the pole vault as well,” Lesnar said. “She hit her PR and she was an inch off in the high jump and they were going on at the same time, so a lot of running back and forth across the field to go do both.”

The Cavaliers will return to action on Monday at the Orville Pfitzer Relays in Britton. Lesnar was happy with his team’s first outdoor competition on Friday.

“I think we’re at a good point,” Lesnar said. “We’ve got some things that we have to work on, like any squad, but I’m excited for where we’re at and where we can go.”

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

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/548108/results/all