Howard Wood Dakota Relays special event participants announced: Here's who's been selected

[ASFN Admin]

The 100th annual Howard Wood Dakota Relays will take place this weekend and the full field of special event participants has been announced.

The boys' special event will be the 800m and the girls' will be the 200m.

Coach Howard Wood started the Relays as a one-day event on May 4, 1923, but since then, it’s evolved into a two-day event that features over 3,000 middle school and high school athletes from the upper Midwest.

Here is the full list of participants in both special events:

Boys Special 800m​

Tate Grabow, Hill City

Hometown: Hill City, SD

Grade: Junior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 2 in South Dakota in 800m | 2024 SDHSAA A State Cross Country champion | 2x AllSD in cross country | Helped Hill City win the 2023 A State XC team title | Ran on Hill City’s 2024 SDHSAA state champion 4x800m relay team | 2x SDHSAA state track medalist in 3200m

Dawson Balzer, Bismarck

Hometown: Bismarck, ND

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 3 in North Dakota in 800m | 2025 North Dakota A State Indoor 800m champion | 2024 NDHSAA A State Track: 3 rd place in 800m and 1600m | 7x NDHSAA State Track medalist | Ran on Bismarck’s state-champion 4x800m relay teams in 2023 and 2024 | 2024 NDHSAA State XC A 3 rd Place | Part of Bismarck’s state championship teams in track (2024) and cross country (2022, 2023)

Taylor Wanner, Bowman County

Hometown: Bowman, ND

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 1 in North Dakota in 800m | 8x North Dakota state champion in track | 2024 NDHSAA B state champion in 800m, 1600m, 3200m and 4x800m relay | Set NDHSAA Class B state meet records in 800m and 4x800m relay | 5x All-ND in cross country | Helped lead Bowman County to five consecutive NDHSAA State B XC team championships | 4.0 GPA, Class valedictorian | NDSU track and cross country commit

Henry Risser, Hopkins

Hometown: Hopkins, MN

Grade: Senior

Accolades: 2024 Minnesota AAA state champion in 800m | Ranks No. 1 all-time indoors in 800m among Minnesota preps and No. 10 in the US this year | Hopkins school record holder in 800m | Currently ranks No. 1 in Minnesota in 400m after winning that event in 47.19 at this year’s Hamline Elite Meet | AP scholar with honors | University of Wisconsin track commit

Tommy Rice, Skutt Catholic

Hometown: Omaha, NE

Grade: Senior

Accolades: 2024 Nebraska B State Track runner-up in 800m and 3200m | 7x NSAA State Track medalist | 3x All-NE in cross country, with three consecutive top-four finishes in Class B | Skutt Catholic school record holder in 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and 5K | 4.3 GPA | University of Nebraska-Lincoln track and cross country commit

Evan Osler, Okoboji Milford

Hometown: Milford, IA

Grade: Senior

Accolades: 2024 Iowa 2A State Track 3 rd place in 800m, 4 th place in 2023 | 2x Iowa 2A 4x800m state champion (2023, 2024) | Owns five separate Okoboji Milford school records | 4x All-IA in cross country

Miles Brekhus, Rapid City Stevens

Hometown: Rapid City, SD

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 1 in South Dakota in 800m | 2024 SDHSAA AA runner-up in 1600m, 4th in 3200m | 5x SDHSAA State Track medalist | 2x All-SD in cross country | A key member of Stevens’ 2022 AA state cross country championship team | 4.2 GPA | Lehigh track commit

Bennett Wassenaar, Sioux Falls Christian

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 3 in South Dakota in 800m | 2024 SDHSAA A State Track Meet: 3rd place in 800m, 5 th in 400m, 2nd in 4x800m, 1st in 4x400m, Class A Boys team championship (4th consecutive) | Ran on Sioux Falls Christian’s SDHSAA state-champion 4x800m relay teams in 2022 and 2023 | Key contributor on SFC’s 2025 state championship basketball team

Alternate: Benjamin Harris, Minot

Hometown: Minot, ND

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 2 in North Dakota in 800m | 2024 NDHSAA “B” State Track runner-up in 800m, 4th in 1600m | 6x ND State Track medalist | Minot school record holder in 800m | 4.0 GPA

Girls Special 200m​

Kali Ringstmeyer, Pierre T.F. Riggs

Hometown: Pierre, SD

Grade: Senior

Accolades: 2023 SDHSAA AA 200m champion | 2024 SDHSAA State Track Meet: 3rd in 100m, 3rd in 200m | 2024 ESD Conference Meet Outstanding Track Athlete, 3x ESD sprint champion | Currently ranks No. 1 in South Dakota in 100m | University of South Dakota track commit

Chloe Raw, Arlington

Hometown: Arlington, SD

Grade: Senior

Accolades: 2024 SDHSAA B 100 and 200m champion; Runner-up in long jump | 2023 SDHSAA B 100m and 200m runner-up | 6x SD State Track medalist | 2025 Dan Lennon Class B MVP; 2x 60m champion and meet record holder | Currently ranks No. 2 in South Dakota in 200m, No. 4 in 100m | South Dakota State University track commit

Anya Olson, Velva-Drake/Anamoose

Hometown: Velva, ND

Grade: Junior

Accolades: No. 1 all-time in North Dakota prep history in 100m (11.54); Top-10 in 200m and 400m | Currently ranks No. 1 in North Dakota in 100m and 400m; 2nd in 200m | 2024 NDHSAA B 400m champion; Runner-up in 200m, 4th in 100m | 10x ND State Track medalist | All-region selection in volleyball

Reagan O’Neill, Bennett County

Hometown: Martin, SD

Grade: Freshman

Accolades: Top-10 all-time in South Dakota prep history in 100m and 200m | 2024 SDHSAA State Meet Class A Track MVP | 2024 SDHSAA A champion in 100m, 200m and long jump; Runner-up in 4x100m relay | Class A State Meet record holder in 100m and 200m | 6x SD State Track medalist | Helped lead Bennett County to 2025 Class B state basketball championship | All-conference selection in volleyball and basketball

Michelle Gee, West Fargo

Hometown: West Fargo, ND

Grade: Junior

Accolades: No. 2 all-time in North Dakota prep history in 100m (11.59); No. 7 in 200m (24.62) | Currently ranks No. 1 in North Dakota in 200m; 2nd in 100m and 400m | 2024 NDHSAA A 100m, 200m and 400m champion; Runner-up in long jump | 2023 NDHSAA A runner-up in 100m, 200m, 400m | 13x ND State Track medalist | 2025 ND State Indoor champion in 60m and 200m

Jordyn Larsen, Custer

Hometown: Custer, SD

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 1 in South Dakota in 200m, No. 2 in 100m | 2x SD Class A 100m runner-up, plus five additional top-five finishes in 100m and 200m at SDHSAA State Track Meet | 15x SD State Track medalist | Custer school record holder in 100m and 200m | All-conference selection in volleyball and basketball | University of South Dakota track commit

Brynn Bakken, Hills-Beaver Creek

Hometown: Hills, MN

Grade: Sophomore

Accolades: 2024 MSHSL A runner-up in 100m, 3rd in 200m | 5x MN State Track medalist in 100m and 200m | 2024 Howard Wood Dakota Relays and Hamline Elite Meet 100m champion | Top 15 in Minnesota prep history in 100m (11.88)

Grace Erick, Sioux City East

Hometown: Sioux City, IA

Grade: Senior

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 1 in Iowa in 200m, No. 2 in 100m | 2025 Iowa State Indoor Champion in 60m and 200m | 6x Iowa State Track medalist | Runner-up in 100m at 2025 Drake Relays | South Dakota State University track commit

Alternate: Bergan Musser, Lennox

Hometown: Lennox, SD

Grade: 8th

Accolades: Currently ranks No. 3 in South Dakota in 200m, No. 6 in 100m | 2024 SDHSAA A State Track Meet: 3rd in 100m, 3rd in 200m, 3 rd in long jump, 2nd in 4x200m relay as a 7th grader | Holds six different Lennox track and field school records

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Howard Wood Dakota Relays: Here's who's racing in the special events

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