Humans tend to be creatures of habit. We like our routines and comfort zones.

The routine for Aberdeen Christian sprinter Shawnteah La Croix took a big turn earlier this season when a fire temporarily displaced her family from its home. The sophomore went from focusing on her times to making sure her siblings had a ride from a hotel to school every day.

“Probably the most challenging thing was, our mom went on a trip to Virginia, so I had to take my brothers to school,” La Croix said, “and we have to pick up this other family of kids, so then I had to take so many people to school in the morning, so that was a little tricky.”

If anything, La Croix grew in her leadership skills. While already being a team leader for the Knights track and field squad, the recent incident forced La Croix to expand her horizons and perspective on life.

“In these past years I was really focused about myself a lot,” La Croix said, “so then I’ve just been able to see other needs of other people and been able to help them out a lot more.”

La Croix, who has the second fastest Class B times this season in the 200-meter dash and the third fastest time in the 100-meter dash in addition to being a key member of two relay squads, is gearing up for this weekend’s annual Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls.

She knows the competition will be top-notch, but is looking forward to the challenge.

“I feel like I do better when I have better competition. I can push myself more,” La Croix said. “So then I just need to work on the different techniques that I’ve learned, grown in, and then I also need to focus on my own race and then I can use the other girls to push myself to do better. So that’s what I want to work on at this meet.”

La Croix, who has competed in the past three state track and field meets, is used to being on the big stage. She has a unique perspective when it comes to dealing with the pressure that comes with the territory.

“I usually get really, really stressed, but I feel like I’m not as stressed this time,” La Croix said. “I feel like once I get there, I might be a little be more nervous, but honestly, I try not to worry about it, because when you’re worrying about races and stuff, you’re putting yourself through it twice by doing that. It’s just not worth it.”

DEALING WITH THE WEATHER: After a promising start to the spring, the weather has wreaked havoc on track and field schedules throughout the region.

Aberdeen Roncalli is among the numerous squads that have lost multiple weeks to the wet, cold and windy conditions.

“It’s kind of been a bummer,” said Cavaliers co-coach Brady Lesnar. “We only have three meets in so far this year … and we haven’t had snow.”

Lesnar said his athletes have dealt with the lack of meets pretty well, all things considered.

“I think the kids have been OK. Nobody has really sounded too antsy,” Lesnar said. “At least they haven’t voiced it too much. We kind of just keep carrying on. We have our practices and we do what we can do.”

The Cavaliers will try to make up for lost time in the near future. They added a meet at Madison on Monday and one the following week at Hamlin as well.

“Madison was the closest one that was a non-conference meet next week that we could get to,” Lesnar said. “Otherwise, every meet next week is a conference meet.”

With the state switching to the top 24 times and distances in each event qualifying for the state meet, things have changed a bit, according to Lesnar. Instead of focusing primarily on conference and region meets, there is a new priority.

“Now, it’s like any opportunity that we can get, we take it, because we have to,” he said.

Roncalli, which hasn’t had a meet in more than week, is scheduled to compete at Sisseton on Friday.

“Hopefully, Friday goes well for us and we get a few more kids in some stuff,” Lesnar said. “That’s always the goal.”

The Cavaliers will look to make the most of the rest of the season before the upcoming state meet in three weeks.

“We just have to take care of business when it’s time to take care of business,” Lesnar said.

LEADING THE WAY: There are four individuals who are leading three open events in this week’s leaders.

In the Class AA girls, Libby Castelli of O’Gorman leads the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, and 3,200-meter runs, while Nyariek Kur of Sioux Falls Wasington tops the high jump, long jump and triple jump. In the Class AA boys, Yankton’s Dylan Payer sets the pace in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200. In Class B girls, Menno’s Ashton Massey leads the 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter intermediate hurdles, and the triple jump.

There are 13 other athletes who lead a pair of open events, including Kaleb Foltz of Tri-State in the Class A 400-meter dash and 800-meter run, and Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide in the Class B 800 and 1,600.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Sioux Falls Christian girls continue to top the team leaders by owning top times or distances in six events, including all five relays.

Other team leaders include Sioux Falls Lincoln and Rapid City Stevens in Class AA boys (four events each), Spearfish in Class AA girls (four events), Hot Springs in Class A boys (three events), Ipswich in Class B boys (three events), and Menno, Centerville, and Chester Area in Class B girls (three events each).