7 hours Ago By The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Apr. 29—SIOUX FALLS — With the 100th running of the Dakota Relays looming, all eyes will be on Howard Wood Field on Friday and Saturday.With athletes from across the region in attendance, the Dakota Relays presents an opportunity for breakout performances on a large stage.
Here are five Mitchell-area athletes who rank highly on the South Dakota leaderboards and could be poised for standout efforts this weekend.Emerging as a top quarter-miler, Padilla could be in for a standout Dakota Relays debut. The junior currently ranks second in South Dakota at 400 meters (49.
81), but has never competed in an individual event at the Dakota Relays before. Padilla's most recent experience on the Howard Wood Field track was as part of the Kernels' third-place 4x400-meter relay at the South Dakota state championships in 2024.The defending South Dakota Class A girls javelin state champion will look to bring that same level of success back to Howard Wood Field for the Dakota Relays.
Boschee, a junior, stands at No. 2 in the javelin (130-6) as well as tied for third in the high jump (5-5) among all classes so far this spring. Last season, she didn't compete in either event at the Dakota Relays, instead qualifying in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.
Off a strong finish to last season, Keiser has been among the best high jumpers in the state to start his junior campaign. Heading into the Dakota Relays, he's tied for third among all classes in the high jump (6-6). Keiser made his Dakota Relays debut last season, finishing 13th in the high jump as well as taking second in the Class B boys 4x400-meter relay.
Though a two-time defending South Dakota Class B state champion in the girls discus, Bull will be aiming to put her best foot forward at the Dakota Relays. The senior ranks as the all-class No. 1 thrower in the discus (141-8) and is top-10 in the shot put (38-1.
5) as well. Bull was seventh in the discus and did not compete in the shot put at last year's meet.A top-five all-time boys javelin performer in the brief history of the event in South Dakota high schools, Odell is the No.
2-ranked athlete in the discipline this season (175-7). Odell did not compete at last season's Dakota Relays but was among the athletes to throw the javelin in the 2023 edition of the meet.Apart from the relay events, events at the Dakota Relays are not separated by classes like the South Dakota state championships.
As such, many events are controlled by athletes from the largest schools in attendance. However, every year produced a new crop of stars, including some from the smaller ranks.Here are five athletes from South Dakota Class A or Class B who are positioned for big weekends in Sioux Falls.
One of the top jumpers in the region, Lehman enters this year's meet coming off a pair of podium finishes from the 2024 Dakota Relays. Last year, Lehman was runner-up in the boys triple jump and fifth in the long jump. So far this spring, the senior owns the top marks across all three classes in the long jump (23-1) and the triple jump (48-7.
25), the latter of which is a state record.Though just an eighth-grader, O'Neill has already established herself as one of the premier athletes in South Dakota. Heading into the weekend, she tops the all-class charts in the 100-meter hurdles (14.
72) and 300-meter hurdles (44.22), and shares the top spot in the high jump standings (5-6). Last year, she finished as the runner-up in both hurdles events.
Climbing the all-class leaderboards from where he finished in 2024, Veenhof is one of the top hurdlers in South Dakota heading into the meet. Veenhof's 100-meter hurdles time (14.45) ranks first in the state, while he's third in the 300-meter hurdles (40.
22). At last year's Dakota Relays, he was eighth on the podium in the 300-meter hurdles last season and narrowly missed out on the 100-meter hurdles finals, landing in 10th place in the semifinal round.A highly decorated mid-distance racer both individually and in the relays, Vyn will look to add to her lengthy resume once again as a senior.
So far this spring, she's the No. 4-ranked runner in South Dakota at 400 meters and 800 meters. A year ago, she claimed the runner-up position at 400 meters and was sixth in the 800-meter special event at the Dakota Relays.
One of Class A's top throwers for multiple seasons, Hoekman is chasing an elusive individual Dakota Relays title. The senior powerhouse comes into the 2025 meet as South Dakota's top-ranked thrower in the shot put (66-5) and third in discus (170-7), and could potentially challenge for the top spot in both events with a big weekend effort. He took second in shot put and fifth in discus at the 2024 Dakota Relays.
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