Sprinters set to soar at Howard Wood Dakota Relays
Cortney Dowling is coming off one of the finest efforts of her young career, posting a pair of top-five all-time South Dakota sprint performances last Friday at the Pierre Legion Relays.
The Pierre sophomore clocked in at 11.74 seconds in the 100 meters and 55.54 in the 400 and appears well on her way to defending her state titles in the 100 and 200.
Before she gets that chance, she'll face a collection of the state's top sprinters in the girls 200 special event Friday night at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays.
Dowling owns the fastest state qualifying time of all three classes at 25.10, which is also the top time this season of any of the eight athletes in the field.
"Everything's clicking right now. She's running extremely well," said Pierre coach Greg Starr. "I think she's still kind of in disbelief right now. She doesn't quite believe what she ran (on Friday)."
Dowling, the anchor for the Governors' state champion 1,600 relay team in 2013, enters as one of the favorites along with Sturgis senior Brooke Ireland, who finished runner-up to Dowling twice last Friday with times of 12.02 in the 100 and 56.62 in the 400.
Ireland, the defending 'AA' 400 champion, owns the sixth-best girls 400 time (55.88) in South Dakota history, is a two-time state runner-up in the 200 and finished second to Dowling in the 100 last year at state. Her state qualifying 200 time (25.80) is second only to her Pierre counterpart.
"They have a pretty good rivalry and a great amount of respect for each other," said Starr.
Outside of Dowling's 200 time, Sioux Falls Christian's Stacy Smidt owns the best PR of the field at 25.30 – a school record.
However, the senior is battling a hamstring injury that limited her near the end of the state meet a season ago and might not run in the event, depending on the weather conditions.
"She's still working toward the special, but as we look at the weather we're not real enthusiastic about the cool and wet conditions that everybody may face," said SFC coach Bob Garry. "There's a chance she may not compete."
Smidt, a Minnesota State recruit, was the Class A state runner-up in the 100, another event in which she holds a school record (12.20), and has run on the Chargers' two-time state champion 800 relay team.
Should she not run, Sioux Falls Christian will still be represented as Miranda Velgersdyk is serving as alternate for the event. The senior, who has a state qualifying time of 25.60, helped lead the Chargers to a second straight 800 relay title and a third consecutive 1,600 relay title at state last season.
"We can't go wrong either way, but we're hoping for the best," said Garry. "There's no worst-case scenario because we feel like we'll have wonderful representation either way."
Rapid City Central junior Alaina Klapperich and Watertown sophomore Macy Denzer both have qualifying times of 26.10, putting them middle of the pack. Denzer finished fourth in the 200 at state last year and third in the 100 and 400, while Klapperich placed fourth in the 100 and anchored the Cobblers' first-place 400 relay team.
Meanwhile, O'Gorman freshman Callie DeWitt could be the dark horse for Friday's special event.
She has come on as one of the stronger competitors for the Knights since joining the team late in the season last spring, finishing fifth in both the 100 and 200 at state. DeWitt, who has run 26.20 this season, was limited for a few days after suffering a slight ankle injury during the city meet earlier in the month but has the potential for a surge.
"She's just a competitor," said O'Gorman coach Doug Lindner. "You put her in a race and she just goes for it. She's so new at it that she doesn't really have a fear of – or know of – just how good some of the other kids around the state are."
Two Class B runners round out the field in Eureka/Bowdle senior Sierra Stotz and Parker junior Brittany Olson. Stotz (26.74 PR) is the defending 100 and 200 state champion, while Olson (26.20 PR) was the 200 runner-up and ran on the Pheasants' two-time state champion 800 relay.
AT A GLANCE
Special event: Girls 200-meter dash
When/where: Friday, 7:55 p.m., Howard Wood Field
Online: Watch live video of the race with interviews and analysis at argusleader.com
Sports Web Live: Stu Whitney and Justin Wulf
preview the special events with Howard Wood
Dakota Relays board member Terry Prendergast on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at argusleader.com
Coming Wednesday: Preview of boys special event 800-meter run in the Argus Leader sports section.
BRITTANY
OLSON
School
Parker
Class
Junior
Best time
26.20
CALLIE
DeWITT
School
O'Gorman
Class
Freshman
Best time
26.10
CORTNEY
DOWLING
School
Pierre
Class
Sophomore
Best time
25.10
STACY
SMIDT
School
S.F. Christian
Class
Senior
Best time
25.30
BROOKE
IRELAND
School
Sturgis
Class
Senior
Best time
25.47
ALAINA
KLAPPERICH
School
R.C. Central
Class
Junior
Best time
26.10
MACY
DENZER
School
Watertown
Class
Sophomore
Best time
26.10
SIERRA
STOTZ
School
Eureka-Bowdle
Class
Senior
Best time
26.74
MEET THE RUNNERS