Titans break records at Howard Wood

Track and field athletes from Tea Area headed to Howard Wood in Sioux Falls on May 3-4 to compete in the Howard Wood Dakota Relays. 

The Titans saw great success in the relays, with new school records being set.

The girls’ 4x800 meter relay team of Haidyn West, Jayna VanLaecken, Grace Bialas, and Jaycie Babb captured third place honors in the event with a time of 9:48.83. This time beat their own school record by seven seconds. 

The boys’ 4x800 meter relay team of Holden Jelen, Alex Kayser, Jack Campbell, and Peyton Sieber took 15th place with their time of 8:30.61, setting a new school record previously held by the 2010 squad that went on to win a State medal. 

The third school record was set when the 4x400 meter coed relay of Miah Weber, Lainey Haines, Jacob Mueller, and Chase DeBoer clocked a time of 3:57.76 in the event to take 13th place. 

The girls’ 4x400 meter relay team of Lainey Haines, Jayna VanLaecken, Brooklyn Reiners, and Haidyn West placed fifth with their time of 4:13.20. 

Lainey Haines, Grace Bialas, Mya Neuhardt, and Miah Weber took tenth in the Sprint Medley Relay with a time of 4:27.70 in the event.  

Chase DeBoer, Jacob Mueller, Holden Jelen, and Peyton Sieber combined for their season best time of 3:39.60 in the boys’ 4x400 meter relay to place 20th in the event. 

Carter Christensen, Kayden Williamson, Ethan Vis, and Tyler Rhead also ran their season best in the boys’ 4x200 meter relay with a time of 1:35.17 to place 15th. 

That same foursome combined for the 4x100 meter and clocked a time of 45.53 to take 13th in the event. 

Individually, Jaycie Babb improved her own school record in the 1600 meter run setting the new time at 5:21.71, placing her 30th among all classes at Howard Wood. 

The seventh grade boys sprint medley relay team capture first place honors at Howard Wood setting a new meet record. Team members included Lincoln Dysktra, Devyn Rhodes, Cooper Thompson, and Brennan Pigott. 

Others competing at Howard Wood for Tea Area included Sydney Stahlecker and Mya Neuhardt in the 100 meter dash; Brooklyn Reiners in the 100 meter hurdles; Matthew Rogers in the 110 meter hurdles; Jayna VanLaecken and Brooklyn Reiners in the 200 meter hurdles; Sydney Stahlecker, Jayna VanLaecken, and Haidyn West in the 400 meter dash; Emily Froendt in the discus; and Mara Grant in the shot put. 

The Titans track and field team will compete at West Central on May 9 and will compete in the Region Meet on May 16 at Elk Point Jefferson.