In a race that was toe-to-toe the entire way, Menno junior Ashton Massey clipped Freeman eighth grader Rylee Peters to claim the gold medal in the 100 hurdles at the 2023 State Track & Field Championships Saturday morning. Massey edged Peters 15.38 to 15.47 and took advantage of a stumble at the end for Peters, who appeared to have the edge after clearing the final hurdle and finished second. "It was so close the whole way; I definitely thought she was going to get me after the last hurdle," said Massey, who was fourth in the event at state as a sophomore last year.

The Menno boys remain atop the leaderboard in the men’s team standings at the SDHSAA State Track & Field Championships after the second day of competition, but with that total, coupled with what they have left, be enough to get them a team plaque.

Like they did Thursday in the 100 hurdles, Menno junior Ashton Massey and Freeman Public eighth grader Rylee Peters both qualified for Saturday's final in the 300 hurdles with strong runs in the preliminary race Friday afternoon. Massey clocked the top time in the field at 46.8 while Peters was second at 47.58. Massey also takes the best clocking into the 100 hurdles final while Peters goes in third in the field.

Hayden McNinch, a senior from Menno, picked up another point for the Wolves by finishing eighth in the shot put early Friday afternoon, giving the MHS boys 32 points midway through the state meet. McNinch bettered his incoming best by almost 2 feet and recorded a heave of 45-8 1/2. His incoming best was 43-11 1/2.

The final region championship belongs to the Menno High School boys.

The Canistota/Freeman/Marion Sticks and Scotland/Menno Trappers have both finished in the top eight in the 12-team Region 1B standings and have therefore qualified for the region tournament this Sunday. The Sticks (5-6) are No. 7 and will face No. 2 Dakota Valley (10-1) at 2 p.m. at Dakota Valley (North Sioux City). The Trappers (7-4) are No. 4 and will play No. 5 Ethan/Parkston/Tripp (7-4) at 3 p.m. in Tyndall. 

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER As a successful student-athlete at Menno who just keeps getting better and better at her marquee sport, track and field, Ashton Massey has her sights set on the final weeks of the season — and with good reason.

Scotland/Menno has won seven straight and is second in Region 1 standings The Scotland/Menno Trappers, the high school baseball cooperative that is part of the South Dakota High School Baseball Association, are red hot after winning seven straight games and are currently second in the Region 1 standings with a 6-2 mark in region play. Dakota Valley leads in the standings with a 9-1 record while Bon Homme Avon is third at 5-0.

Wet, windy, cold and snowy weather prompted Freeman Public school officials to cancel the Flyer Invitational scheduled for last week Thursday, April 20 (it will not be rescheduled), but a number of home track meets are on the schedule in the days to come. Erv Ptak Relays

Because of the wet, windy and cool weather, the Flyer Invitational scheduled for Thursday, April 20 has been canceled.