Moving up the ladder in the Eastern South Dakota Conference and Class AA ranks won't be easy for the Watertown and Aberdeen Central high school track and field teams this spring, but that doesn't mean the Arrows and Golden Eagles aren't going to try.
Watertown's girls finished fourth in the conference and ninth in the state meet behind Brandon Valley, which cruised to titles in both meets. Aberdeen Central's girls took third in the ESD and tied for seventh in the state.
Aberdeen Central's boys were fourth and Watertown's boys eighth behind champion Harrisburg in the ESD meet. Watertown finished 11th and Aberdeen Central 13th behind champion Sioux Falls Lincoln at state.
Both schools are set to close out their preseason indoor meets this week — Watertown is at the Thundering Herd Classic in Fargo (N.D.) on Friday and a handful of Aberdeen Central athletes were slated to compete Thursday in the Northern State Open — before heading outdoors next week, weather permitting.
"It'll be interesting to see with the numbers we have to see if we can fill some holes we've had in the past," Watertown coach Chad Rohde said. "It's just getting so hard to compete with the Metro schools. The numbers they have are just unbelievable."
Aberdeen Central is scheduled to compete Tuesday in the Bob Judson Invite at Pierre and also in the Huron Invite on Friday, April 11 along with Watertown.
Taking a look at Watertown
Rohde and his staff is working with a group of more than 140 boys and girls this spring, an increase from recent seasons that could possibly be attributed to the new track facility at Allen Mitchell Field.
The Arrows, however, are very young and return only a handful of state placewinners from last spring. That group includes sophomore Dane Stark (eighth in the boys' 3,200-meter run), junior Malia Kranz (girls' discus champion and fourth-place in shot put), eighth-grader Grace McElroy (sixth in 3,200 run), sophomore Reese Munger (tied for fifth in the high jump) and junior Makenna Blank (fifth in long jump).
