WARNER – Field event athletes had the spotlight all to themselves on Thursday.

In addition to battling each other, those athletes had to contend with cold, windy, cloudy and damp conditions during the Monarch Field Event Meet at Warner.

Hitchcock-Tulare’s Emma Schneider won the long jump with a mark of 16-feet 4 1/4-inches, before placing fourth in the triple jump. While the sprinter utilizes her speed in the jumping events, she said jumping is more mental than physical.

“I think most of it is mental. If you’re not on the board then it kind of throws you off,” Schneider said. “If you aren’t good on landing, you can’t really have your whole mindset there.”

Schneider is a senior at Doland High School. She competes through a cooperative with Hitchcock-Tulare. Interestingly enough, neither school has a long jump it where Schneider can practice.

“I just focus a lot on drills on the ground and into different high jump pits,” Schneider said.

After placing fifth in both the long jump and triple jump at the state meet last year, Schneider said she is ahead of her pace this season compared to last spring.

“Last year later in the year that’s kind of when I started to peak,” Schneider said, “and this year’s it’s a lot earlier.”

Schneider enjoyed having a meet where she could just concentrate on her jumps.

“I don’t have to worry about getting to my relays on time and everything,” Schneider said, “so it was kind of nice just to focus on my jumps today.”

Aberdeen Christian’s Dylan Hofer nearly matched his PR and school record from a few weeks ago in winning the triple jump, and won the event with a mark of 41-feet 7-inches despite a strong cross wind.

“Mentally it can be challenging because you have to warm up a lot more,” Hofer said of the brisk conditions, “just that extra effort to warm up more can definitely help you.”

While the triple jump can be more challenging than the long jump, the sophomore said he enjoys that event more.

“It definitely takes a lot of practice,” Hofer said. “I still haven’t gotten very good form. It just comes from doing it in practice and doing it in meets.”

Like Schneider, Hofer enjoyed not having to worry about getting to his running events while in the middle of the field events.

“It helps you just lock into the one or two events that you have,” Hofer said. “Usually I’m in relays, but when I’m in just triple jump and another jump, I just really lock in on those.”

It proved to be a busy day for Tatum Luce of Wolsey-Wessington, who is normally involved in mutliple field events.

“It’s a little bit different because I’m doing high jump, and then I’m doing pole vault and long jump all at the same time,” Luce said, “so I’m having to run back and forth.”

Luce won the high jump with a mark of 4-feet 11-inches. Before her final attempt she stretched on the field where she arched her back high in the air while looking up with her feet and hands spread far apart.

“I can’t jump very high, but I’m flexible,” Luce said. “I’ve been a cheerleader since I was in second grade, so I think that’s helped me a lot.”

In fact, the senior will soon become a South Dakota State University cheerleader.

Luce, who placed third in the high jump at state the last two seasons, said she just enjoys trying to getter better in the sport.

“I’m not very competitive,” Luce said. “If another girl beats me, then it’s OK. I’m just here to just better myself.”

While the weather was less than ideal, Luce liked the field personnel having the spotlight to themselves.

“I’m glad that we could all get out here and kind of appreciate the field events,” Luce said.

Faulkton’s Weston Senn is having a strong season in his first year of throwing the javelin. The freshman, who has the second best throw in Class B this year, won the event on Thursday with a throw of 142-feet 2-inches.

“I just go up there and chuck it,” Senn said.

Actually there is a bit more to it than that. Senn explained his key to the event.

“I think it’s maintaining speed and then how your throw it, when you release it,” Senn said.

That said, Senn said he wasn’t able to maintain top speed this time around.

“When I keep my speed, that’s when it goes the furthest,” he said. “Today I slowed down and it didn’t go as far.”

Senn has learned the finer points of the javelin from teammate Spencer Melius, one of the state’s top throwers.

“He helps a lot,” Senn said. “First practice he taught me most of the stuff.”

Leola’s Dustin Wurtz won the shot put and discus, and Ipswich’s Jalyssa Hutson won the pole vault and javelin, while Aberdeen Roncalli’s Austin Fisher won the high jump, and Aberdeen Christian’s Shawnteah LaCroix won the triple jump.

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

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/593184/results