Whether the weather was too rough to continue the 88th running of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays will be a topic of debate for the next couple of days. However, it was interesting to see what the top athletes in their respective events had to say- or not to say- about the conditions.
With a spring of cancelations and postponements, it was a suprise or maybe even a shock to some, to see the afternoon portion of the Howard Wood Dakota Relays called off.
Mark Meile, Sioux Falls Activities Director (From the Argus Leader: Whitney: Weather Wins Again) was obviously faced with the tough decision of continuing the meet or pulling the plug.
“It was tough because the stadium was rebuilt and we wanted the first meet at the new Howard Wood to be perfect,” said Meile. “It would have been nice to have halfway decent weather to showcase things a bit, but it didn’t happen. That’s disappointing, but we’ll be back.”
But, here is what the athletes (and Legendary Coach, Rich Greeno) had to say...
#1: Matt VandeBerg, Brandon Valley (From the Argus Leader: Whitney: Weather Wins Again)
“You just have to ‘man up’ and make sure you’re prepared. Once your mind goes to the weather, you’re not going to compete as well.”
#2: Rich Greeno, The Legend, (From the Argus Leader: Whitney: Weather Wins Again)
“I grew up at a time when we were just lucky to have a meet,” Greeno said. “When weather conditions weren’t the greatest, my brothers and I felt we might have a chance to finish a little higher, because we had grown up and trained on the farm.”
He recalled watching former Olympic champion Carl Lewis run at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1994. In what many consider to be that meet’s most memorable moment, the former world-record holder helped shovel snow off the track before winning the 100-meter dash.
“There was sleet and snow that day, and he just stripped down and ran,” said Greeno, who was coaching several athletes that day. “I thought, ‘By golly, if Carl Lewis can go out and run, we should follow his lead.’ ”
#3: Robyn Wear, Springs Christian Academy- Canada (From the Argus Leader: Whitney: Weather Wins Again)
“It’s snowing in Canada, so I was just hoping to get some work in,” said a smiling Wear, who also competed in the 100 meters and long jump. “This is my first meet of the year, and I hadn’t run in the 100 since last June. Weather is just something you push through. If you’re a true athlete and you’re good at the sport, your talent can still shine through.”
#4: Christian Parker, S.F. Washington (From the Argus Leader- HS: Standouts Rise to the Challenge)
“You get your head in the game and don’t think about it, then you do all right,” he said. “The kids who complain about it – it makes it tougher because you don’t think you’re going to do good. You just deal with it, which we’ve learned to do this season.”
#5: Alex Muntefering, Colordado State University, (From Yankton Press and Dakotan, Muntefering Enjoys Return to State)
“It’s just such a bummer that it was so cold and wet out here,” Muntefering said. “But then I snapped out of it, and thought how blessed I am to have this opportunity. No matter what the weather was, I wasn’t going to complain.”
#6: Kayla Mescher, Augustana College (From the Argus Leader, Muntefering Highlights Homecoming with 1,500m Triumph)
“It’s frustrating because this is pretty much how every meet has been this year,” she said. “But I guess we’re used to it. There’s just not much you can do, anyway – you have to run.”
#7: Laura Lawton, South Dakota State University (From the Argus Leader, Muntefering Highlights Homecoming with 1,500m Triumph)
“It could be worse – it could be snowing,” she joked. “Knock on wood on that. I like the rain because nobody else likes it – let’s make something positive out of this, it’s fun running in the rain.”
#8: Brandon Gildemaster, S.F. Roosevelt (From the Argus Leader, Sioux Falls Christian Girls Soar)
“Before the race, I wasn’t trying to think about the weather,” said Gildemaster, who has designs on breaking the all-time state record in the 110 hurdles. “I was trying to listen to music and get focused.”
#9: Emily Person, Rapid City Stevens (From the Argus Leader, Special Events)
“That eighth-grader (Macy Heinz, Ipwich) – she’s just phenomenal,” said Person, a former state champ in the 800. “I remember watching her last year and she’s just awesome.”
#10: Nate Gerry, S.F. Washington (From the Argus Leader, An All-Time Record that refuses to fall)
“I don’t use the weather as an excuse,” said Gerry, who easily outdistanced runner-up Shaheed Hickman of Hopkins, Minn. (22.17). “One of my goals is to run faster than the week before. I’m trying to challenge myself so that one day I can go out and push myself to get that record. Tonight, I was looking forward to new competition and the atmosphere of being in the special event. It was a great experience.”