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Mar. 31—MITCHELL — A large and skilled roster returns to the track for the Mitchell High School track and field squad for 2025.
For the fourth-straight year, the program has more than 100 athletes participating, which head coach Deb Thill sees as an overall sign of strength. The Kernels have a three-meet slate of indoor competitions before the outdoor season is scheduled to begin April 11.
The team has been practicing since March 1, adding athletes as the month has gone on from other winter sports as those seasons have ended.
"We've been getting kids at different times, which has been nice," Thill said. "We have some great leaders in this group of girls athletes and a great amount of them come back with experience. On the boys side, we lost a lot of experience, but we have some really good kids coming back that will provide some leadership as the season goes along."
For the Kernel boys, Alexier Padilla returns as a junior and as the team's top sprinter from a year ago. But Padilla said he will be doing more of the 400 and maybe 800 in part to reach his main goal for the season: stay healthy.
"I would like to not get hurt, first of all," Padilla said. "I want to be in the state meet for the 400, and the last state meets, I couldn't run because I was injured. So I want to make sure I'm healthy."
Other MHS returners include Floyd Korzan, who was a top runner in the mid-distances, while Ben Gerlach emerged in the mile and two-mile races. In the throwing events, Bryer Stach emerged last season as a freshman and Kellan Odell returns for his senior season with the school record in the javelin in hand.
Coming off an injury that slowed him down in 2024, Odell said the goal is to get back to throwing at 163 feet, which is the MHS-best javelin mark he set two years ago. Odell is also among the top returners from last season in the long jump and triple jump.
"I think we just need to focus on improving the things that we can in practice and it'll show during the meets," Odell said.
Thill said the boys team is a hard-working group that is developing leaders in its early practices, setting the pace for their teammates.
"We didn't know what to expect as far as leadership, and who's going to take over at practice, and who's going to make sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing, because a lot of times, track is on your own," Thill said. "And so we've been very happy with our group of boys in that effort that they've been putting out."
In the girls events, there's a large group of Kernels who have experience across many events, ranging from throwing and jumping to sprints and relays.
"It's all of those things that we are experienced at," Thill said. "And a lot of these girls are top athletes at other sports as well. To bring that to the track team, now you can specialize even more and bring out what they do well."
In the jumps, Avrie London and Audrey Miller are returners to watch. Macey Linke has the still-young school record in the javelin at 105 feet, 7 inches and returns for her senior season. Senior Sidney Malde and junior Olivia Prunty are the team's top returning hurdlers. Sophomore Londyn Schroeder ranks No. 2 in Kernel history in the 3,200-meter race after a personal-best 11:50 last season, 11 seconds off the school record of 11:39 held by Holly Case from 1992.
Most notably, the team of Carsyn Weich, Kambyl Wede, Londyn Schroeder and Emerson Smith from last season's state meet in the 4x800-meter relay is all back. The relay is No. 2 in school history at 9:50.37, looking to take down the school record from 1990 at 9:42.16. Addie Siemsen and Lainee Forst have been frequent relay contributors for MHS and are back again this year,
"It's definitely a confidence booster just having everyone back and everyone being in the same place," Forst said. "We've all come so far since the beginning of last season, so I think this year we're just starting at such a higher level. That's just so comfortable, and knowing that all your teammates are with you and you trust them. And it just sets the expectation so much higher this year."
Taylor DeJong also returns for her junior season after moving into the top-10 in school history in both the shot put and the discus and reaching the top-eight medal stand in the shot put in 2024.
"As soon as wrestling was over, she was here the next day," Thill said of DeJong. "That's a pretty dedicated athlete, because wrestling's hard on your body, and she wanted to be here right away. This is where she excels. So we do have high expectations for her to score points for us."
Forst said the team has a lot of experience with each other, with many of them going back to middle school track and knowing what each other needs to be successful and to push each other.
"I think it really helps that a lot of us have run together, run at state, because there's just always the first time running at state jitters and learning to run with each other," said Emerson Smith. "Last year, we did place in most of our relays, so I'm hoping this year we can still place but hopefully, place a lot higher than we did last year with our times improving and everything."
The MHS team has a large group of assistant coaches, led by Eric Palmer, who coaches hurdles and sprints. Amy Tyler coaches sprints and relays and Jordan McKean returns as pole vault coach. Throwing coaches include Sterling Dockweiler, Amanda Lynch and Wyatt Winter, and James Doughtery works as strength and conditioning coach. Bob Lemon has joined the staff as the distance running coach and Tayah Waldera has joined the MHS staff as the jumps coach.
For competitions in Mitchell, the Kernels will be on the indoor track on April 1 for the Dakota Wesleyan University High School Open at the Corrigan Fieldhouse. The competitions will begin at noon. Mitchell's annual home outdoor invitational is the Corn Palace Relays on Thursday, April 17, at Joe Quintal Field. Mitchell will also host triangulars on April 15 with Brandon Valley and Yankton and on April 29 with O'Gorman and Yankton at Joe Quintal Field. The Class AA state meet will be held May 29-31 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.
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For the fourth-straight year, the program has more than 100 athletes participating, which head coach Deb Thill sees as an overall sign of strength. The Kernels have a three-meet slate of indoor competitions before the outdoor season is scheduled to begin April 11.
The team has been practicing since March 1, adding athletes as the month has gone on from other winter sports as those seasons have ended.
"We've been getting kids at different times, which has been nice," Thill said. "We have some great leaders in this group of girls athletes and a great amount of them come back with experience. On the boys side, we lost a lot of experience, but we have some really good kids coming back that will provide some leadership as the season goes along."
For the Kernel boys, Alexier Padilla returns as a junior and as the team's top sprinter from a year ago. But Padilla said he will be doing more of the 400 and maybe 800 in part to reach his main goal for the season: stay healthy.
"I would like to not get hurt, first of all," Padilla said. "I want to be in the state meet for the 400, and the last state meets, I couldn't run because I was injured. So I want to make sure I'm healthy."
Other MHS returners include Floyd Korzan, who was a top runner in the mid-distances, while Ben Gerlach emerged in the mile and two-mile races. In the throwing events, Bryer Stach emerged last season as a freshman and Kellan Odell returns for his senior season with the school record in the javelin in hand.
Coming off an injury that slowed him down in 2024, Odell said the goal is to get back to throwing at 163 feet, which is the MHS-best javelin mark he set two years ago. Odell is also among the top returners from last season in the long jump and triple jump.
"I think we just need to focus on improving the things that we can in practice and it'll show during the meets," Odell said.
Thill said the boys team is a hard-working group that is developing leaders in its early practices, setting the pace for their teammates.
"We didn't know what to expect as far as leadership, and who's going to take over at practice, and who's going to make sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing, because a lot of times, track is on your own," Thill said. "And so we've been very happy with our group of boys in that effort that they've been putting out."
In the girls events, there's a large group of Kernels who have experience across many events, ranging from throwing and jumping to sprints and relays.
"It's all of those things that we are experienced at," Thill said. "And a lot of these girls are top athletes at other sports as well. To bring that to the track team, now you can specialize even more and bring out what they do well."
In the jumps, Avrie London and Audrey Miller are returners to watch. Macey Linke has the still-young school record in the javelin at 105 feet, 7 inches and returns for her senior season. Senior Sidney Malde and junior Olivia Prunty are the team's top returning hurdlers. Sophomore Londyn Schroeder ranks No. 2 in Kernel history in the 3,200-meter race after a personal-best 11:50 last season, 11 seconds off the school record of 11:39 held by Holly Case from 1992.
Most notably, the team of Carsyn Weich, Kambyl Wede, Londyn Schroeder and Emerson Smith from last season's state meet in the 4x800-meter relay is all back. The relay is No. 2 in school history at 9:50.37, looking to take down the school record from 1990 at 9:42.16. Addie Siemsen and Lainee Forst have been frequent relay contributors for MHS and are back again this year,
"It's definitely a confidence booster just having everyone back and everyone being in the same place," Forst said. "We've all come so far since the beginning of last season, so I think this year we're just starting at such a higher level. That's just so comfortable, and knowing that all your teammates are with you and you trust them. And it just sets the expectation so much higher this year."
Taylor DeJong also returns for her junior season after moving into the top-10 in school history in both the shot put and the discus and reaching the top-eight medal stand in the shot put in 2024.
"As soon as wrestling was over, she was here the next day," Thill said of DeJong. "That's a pretty dedicated athlete, because wrestling's hard on your body, and she wanted to be here right away. This is where she excels. So we do have high expectations for her to score points for us."
Forst said the team has a lot of experience with each other, with many of them going back to middle school track and knowing what each other needs to be successful and to push each other.
"I think it really helps that a lot of us have run together, run at state, because there's just always the first time running at state jitters and learning to run with each other," said Emerson Smith. "Last year, we did place in most of our relays, so I'm hoping this year we can still place but hopefully, place a lot higher than we did last year with our times improving and everything."
The MHS team has a large group of assistant coaches, led by Eric Palmer, who coaches hurdles and sprints. Amy Tyler coaches sprints and relays and Jordan McKean returns as pole vault coach. Throwing coaches include Sterling Dockweiler, Amanda Lynch and Wyatt Winter, and James Doughtery works as strength and conditioning coach. Bob Lemon has joined the staff as the distance running coach and Tayah Waldera has joined the MHS staff as the jumps coach.
For competitions in Mitchell, the Kernels will be on the indoor track on April 1 for the Dakota Wesleyan University High School Open at the Corrigan Fieldhouse. The competitions will begin at noon. Mitchell's annual home outdoor invitational is the Corn Palace Relays on Thursday, April 17, at Joe Quintal Field. Mitchell will also host triangulars on April 15 with Brandon Valley and Yankton and on April 29 with O'Gorman and Yankton at Joe Quintal Field. The Class AA state meet will be held May 29-31 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.
Continue reading...
