Watertown’s Strong Start and Indoor Track Highlights Define High School Sports Week

Watertown and Aberdeen Central’s season-opening softball games, as well as a number of indoor track and field competitions at the Barnett Center, comprised the majority of the high school program for area athletes from March 25 to 31.

A blizzard earlier this week halted certain activities and may still have an impact on any upcoming outdoor events.

Here are the highlights from last week:

Softball

Watertown opened their season with 10-3 and 15-0 victories over Pierre and Aberdeen Central at the Aberdeen Dome, which was rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday. Pierre defeated Aberdeen Central 7-3 in the other game.

Alexa Brown struck out ten batters in seven innings while also hitting a double and a single for Watertown in the victory over Pierre. Lily Pressler, Jade Lund, Alayna Dettman, Sarita Stevenson, and Lauryn Hirsch each had two hits. Hirsch hit a triple, and Stevenson a double. Hirsch and Dettman both drove in two runs.

Hirsch pitched a three-inning one-hitter and drove in three runs in the victory over Aberdeen. Kinsley Van Gilder drove in three runs with a double and a single, while Stevenson had a triple and three RBIs. Lund, who doubled, and Aleia Johnston both got two hits, while Pressler added a double.

“We had a great outing for our first games of the season,” Watertown head coach Kelli Brinka remarked. “I’m quite impressed of how the girls started out aggressive and kept aggressive. We made excellent fielding plays and routinely struck the ball hard at the plate.

Aberdeen Central’s Kaylee Kiesow had two singles and Addison Ward doubled against Pierre. Kylee Hoffman’s single was the only hit against Watertown.

Aberdeen Central will host Mitchell and Sioux Falls Jefferson in a triangular on Tuesday. Watertown travels west to face Rapid City Central on Friday and Spearfish on Saturday.

Indoor Track

Gracie Rife (girls’ 55 and 200-meter dashes), Madison Hochstetter (girls’ 55 hurdles and high jump), Juna Ramey (girls’ 1,600 run), Taryn Hermansen (girls’ shot put), Breckan Santjer (girls’ pole vault), Ciarra Frank (girls’ long jump), Lucy Fritz (girls’ triple jump), Carter Lust (boys’ 55 dash), Caden Forred (boys’ 200 dash), Grant Fritz (boys’ 400 dash), David VanVeen (boys’ 1,600 run), Kyson F

Simon Fried of Mobridge-Pollock won the boys’ long jump, while Emma Schlachter of Potter County won the girls’ 800m. She also participated in the winning 1,600 relay.

Watertown competed in the Dewey Donat Classic, with wins in the girl’s division from Alayna Smith (55 dashes), Andi Olson (800 run), Grace McElroy (1,600 run), Malia Kranz (shot put), Jordyn Padgett (pole vault), Makenna Blank (long jump), and Jalyssa Hutson.

Watertown’s boys won events including Juven Hudson (55 dash), Bayley Steiner (1,600 runs), Boaz Raderschadt (shot put), Owen Spartz (pole vault), and Jonas Geier (triple jump).

Tri-State’s Kaleb Foltz won both the boys’ 400 dash and 800 run.

Florence-Henry’s teams competed in the Dakota Wesleyan Open on Thursday in Mitchell. Caylin Kelly led the Falcons by coming in eighth place in the girls’ shot put.