Area track and field note pad: Gregory boys, Burke women embarking

GREGORY, S.D.– Both Burke and Gregory High School track and field groups are filled with anticipation entering the spring sports season.The Gregory

boys go into 2025 as the safeguarding Class B state group champion again, having actually won the title the previous two seasons. The Gorillas are off to a strong start, protecting a team title at the Gorillas’ home meet on April 10 to open the year, with Luke Stukel, Max Cook and Luke Barreto winning five of the 8 individual track races.

For Burke, the girls track and field program won 12 of the 18 competitions to win the South Central Conference meet on April 8. The Cougars are protecting their very first Class B team title in over four years while reviving a wealth of experience, including Class B field professional athlete of last year’s state satisfy Paige Bull and long dive champion Emily Diekmann.Gregory’s next fulfill is at the Wagner Invitational on Tuesday, April 15, while Burke will complete at the Corn Palace Relays on Thursday, April 17, at Joe Quintal Field. Gregory kids focused on moving forward Gorillas head coach Kurt Stukel has told his boys group to be proud of their previous champions, having earned everything along the way.In the very same vein, he also wants the group to move on and make every effort to improve every day, understanding there’s

a host of other groups wishing to get to the top. “They earned those achievements, however they aren’t going to win us anything this year,”Stukel said.

“They understand that they have actually got to put in effort and they have actually got to earn their successes for the 2025 season. … The ultimate objective is to be at your finest at the state track meet at the end of Might.”Cook, Luke and Pierce Stukel, Paul Sinclair and Colt Keiser return as part of the safeguarding state champ 400-meter relay

and sprint collection relay teams that showed vital to the Gorillas’ title-winning run last season. Rane Kenzy also returns after finishing runner-up to colleague Rylan Peck in the javelin at state. Beyond the returning core, Kurt Stukel mentions the group’s depth as an early strength, offering versatility in setting a lineup for each

event. The supreme objective is for the professional athletes to stay healthy as the season advances, with everyone on the Gregory side ready to put in strong efforts when the opportunity emerges.”We have actually got some rapid kids that we can sort of maneuver and usage, “Kurt Stukel stated. “We can run a couple variations of a 100, 200 and 400-meter relay and the sprint collection. There’s just a lot of flexible kids who can do a great deal of things.” In Addition, Finn Adams and Luke Barreto go back to manage the range running for Gregory. Barreto placed sixth at state in the 3,200 meters, while Adams just missed an area on the podium in the

800 meters, being available in ninth. Even as the Gorillas finished on the leading step for the previous 2 seasons, it’s clear to the training staff that they desire more, especially in the sprint relay events.”They’re inspired to come back and do far better than what they did last year,”Stukel stated.”This group is dedicated and I believe they’re willing to strive.” Burke’s Emily Diekmann leaps during the high jump at the DWU High School Open on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Mitchell.Nathan Swaffar/ Mitchell Republic DWU alum Serr leading Burke BURKE, S.D.– While familiar faces are back on the Burke ladies track and field team, the Cougars have a new voice directing them throughout the spring.Former Burke/South Central and Dakota Wesleyan University football player

Turner Serr stepped in as head coach of the team

after functioning as an assistant last season assisting with jump occasions. In spite of not having actually competed in track and field since middle school prior to joining the training personnel, Serr has actually taken pleasure in the experience while getting

handy hints along the method.”I seem like every day I’m discovering something new,”Serr stated.”There’s little nuances and little things that accompany the sport and I’m discovering as I go. … I’ve got to provide a ton of credit to (former head coach)Tyler Uecker and the other coaches on the personnel. They understood how to manage certain things and it still continues to this day.

“Burke’s top relay group of Braelyn Duerfeldt, Breckynn and Brylie Pistulka, and Kashe Skalla from the state track meet returned following a fifth-place surface in the 100-meter relay. Addi Hood also returns as one of the members of the championship-winning 200-meter relay team.Wanting to place at the state satisfy and improving their 2024 last positioning,

the Cougars have embraced an easy approach to each day at practice, one Serr thinks will be crucial to the group’s performance and confidence level on meet days. “If you had a good day, build off of it, “Serr said. “If you had a bad day, gain from it because everything

is perspective. That’s a chance for us to learn and get better. It’s not something that we can, we can sit and discuss for a long time since we get another opportunity to better ourselves, which is vital to the success and the goals

that we want to reach. “As Burke continues to construct on an advantageous indoor season into the outside calendar, everyone from the coaches to the professional athletes want to feel pleased with their accomplishments by season’s end.”Like everybody, you know, there’s things that you’ll want you might go back and change,”Serr stated,”However if we rely on the procedure, if we concentrate on the details and if we have an excellent

mindset, then we need to be pleased with whatever takes place.” Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having participated in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and college sports in the area.