Hall of Fame: 2011 Boys Track Team

Pictured above, from left to right, are members of the 2011 State A Championship Track and Field Team. They include: Assistant Coach Kent Sattler, Tyler Panek, Riley Knutson, Erik Hill, Dalton Hohn, Lucas Ortmeier, Brady Ihnen, Corbin Lawler, head boys coach Ryan Decker, volunteer assistant coach Mandy Scheuren, and head girls coach Tori Miles. 

The 2011 Tea Area boys track team became the first state championship team in any sport for the school district.

At homecoming on Sept. 27, the team was inducted into the district’s Hall of Fame.

The team was made up of Erik Hill (2011), Corbin Lawler (2012), Tyler Panek (2014), Dalton Hohn (2011), Riley Knutson (2013), Lucas Ortmeier (2011) and Brady Ihnen (2011). Coaches were Kent Sattler, Ryan Decker and Tori Miles.

Miles, who started coaching track in 2006 with middle school athletes moved to head girls varsity track coach in 2008, noted winning the state title in 2011 was special because they accomplished that fete without a track facility.

“With not having a track, Sioux Falls Christian would let us hop on their track for occasional workouts when they were done with their practice, so it made for very long practice sessions and our kids were all in,” Miles said. “It was special because the athletes and coaches put in a ton of work and time. There wasn’t a more deserving group of athletes to take home that state.”

Fifteen-year track coach Kent Sattler said 2011 was a special year because they had a hardworking, talented group of boys.

“They showed up each and every day wanting to get better,” Sattler said. “That class of kids were the first group to really lay a foundation of athletics here at Tea. We’ve had a lot of success since that group in almost every sport.”

Knutson, who competed in the 4x400 meter relay, medley relay, long jump and 4x200 meter relay, said 2011 was special because they were a contributing factor to the school’s first ever championship team. 

“Being able to complete the task after things didn’t quite go our way the year before (third place finish), and seeing the hard work of all the athletes and coaches from the top down pay off. It took every single athlete we qualified that year to make it happen,” Knutson said. “I don’t think people realize how few of athletes we had competing at state and to win it all with that number was impressive especially when compared to the number of athletes other winning teams had at state track meets during similar years.”

Lawler, Panek and Hohn joined Knutson on the medley relay. Panek said winning state track as a team is something he will never forget. Lawler said they had a great group of guys who could run fast and jump far and they knew it was the start of success in Tea Area athletics. Hohn said winning state meant a lot.

“It showed what a group of determined individuals are able to accomplish even when faced with adversity (no track). That’s something that sticks with you even if you don’t realize it,” Hohn said.

Winning the state track meet is something anyone looking at the district’s history books will be able to see.

“It is something that will not ever get overlooked in the Tea history books and something we will always be associated with. It can’t be taken away from us. Being a part of that team at such a young age taught me a lot and contributed to my success and future championships both individually in track and other team sports the following years,” Knutson said.

Decker is entering his 18th year coaching track in the district. In 2011, he was in his fourth year coaching track at the school. Hill, Ortmeier and Ihnen were all freshmen when he started. He knew 2011 was a special year.

“It was our year. I tried to send the message to the guys that year of ‘Why not us?’ We had had some misfortune the year before and while we placed third at the state meet in 2010, we had had a chance to win and things didn’t go our way. 2011 was to be the year that things went our way and it did. Lucas won both jumping events when he wasn’t predicted to and everyone else stepped up and did exactly what we needed them to do. It was the year things went right,” Decker said. “Two, those seniors were freshmen when I started, so we had been working to build something for those four years and it was special to see it all come together. We had a great group of guys that worked hard, but also meshed well.“

Hohn and Knutson expressed their gratitude for the coaches.

“They really pushed us to succeed and I always knew they truly believed in us as a team and as individuals,” Hohn said. “I also want to thank Clayberg because he’s one of the first people to believe in me and I would have never gone to Tea had it not been for him. In the first year I went to Tea, those four people made an enormous and lasting impact on my life.”

Decker said being a part of the 2011 track team was special.  

“We have been super blessed in Tea to have some great athletic programs and win multiple championships across those programs, but it isn’t ever a guarantee that you will. At that time, we were still trying to establish ourselves as a program in Class A and so to win a title validated the work we had been doing and made schools around the state take notice that we were arriving as a school that was going to challenge some of the traditional strong programs,” Decker said. “Being the first was awesome, as it marks a special milestone in school history and is something that you always have fond memories of. As a coach, it is what you work for and dream of, so to realize you have a chance and then to see it happen (especially after we had fallen short the year before) was special. I remember how excited many people who had been involved in getting the school started and getting the sports programs started were to see us have success.”