SPORTS

Elite boys 800 field primed to make mark at Howard Wood Dakota Relays

By Justin Wulf|jwulf@argusleader.com

They're looking for a challenge. That's the sense coming from the top contenders for Friday's boys 800-meter special event at the 89th Howard Wood Dakota Relays.

Two of the top three runners are coming from Iowa and North Dakota, while Custer senior Brennan Witt might be South Dakota's best hope to defend the home turf.

The North Dakota State recruit holds the third-best high school 800 in state history at 1:53.36, which also is the fastest time of any of the eight runners in the special event.

"I think there's times where he feels it's a lot easier for him when he has someone to run with," said Custer coach Craig Black. "His time last spring – 1:53 – that's when he was able to go to Chicago and run with some kids that really challenged him. He looks forward to a good race and a good challenge."

Witt, a three-time Class A state 800 champion, holds the fastest 'A' state qualifying times in the 400 (at 50.3) and 800 (at 1:56.9), the latter being the fastest time of all three classes this season.

"Those are times where no one's really pushed him yet," said Black.

However, both of Witt's toughest competitors for Friday's 800 ran below that time last weekend.

Sioux City East senior Carter Lilly set the Drake Relays high school boys 800 record with a run of 1:54.62 last Friday, just north of his personal record of 1:54.60. The Iowa recruit also recorded a 1:52.9 split on the team's medley relay.

"It really wasn't a surprise. We figured he was ready to go in and run that kind of time," said Sioux City East coach Rick Clarahan of the record run.

"Really, except for a couple races, he hasn't been pushed. Most of the season he's taken the race out from the start to the finish by himself."

Meanwhile, Bismarck, N.D., senior Dylan Werner ripped off a run of 1:55.28 last Friday, a new PR for the Nike Cross Nationals qualifier. Werner has also run on the Demons' three-time state champion 3,200-relay team and helped Bismarck to a team title at the Nike Heartland Nationals in 2012.

While those three have run the three fastest times of the field this season, Sturgis junior Jacob Simmons very well could creep to challenge with a PR of 1:55.07. Simmons, like Witt, was scheduled to run in the event last year before poor conditions canceled the race.

The Scoopers standout was the state runner-up in the 800 last spring and boasts the fastest Class AA time this season at 1:58.60.

"Even though Jacob's only showing a 1:58, I think he's looking for someone to race with, too," said Black, adding that Simmons and Witt have raced, but not on a stage like this. "Sometimes when they run against each other out here, it's after one or the other has run a race."

Wessington Springs senior Jase Kraft (1:58.6 PR) also was supposed to run the special 800 last year and will get a chance to show why he's the top Class B distance runner this season.

Kraft is the three-time state 1,600 champion and finished runner-up in the 3,200 last season after winning as a sophomore. He also finished runner-up in the 800 last year at state as was a three-time state cross country runner-up before winning last fall.

Among the other 'AA' runners, Rapid City Central senior Ryan Stiles and Lincoln junior Nathan Schroeder have both run comparable times this season.

Stiles (1:59.8) has the third-best state qualifying time for the class, while Schroeder (1:59.9) owns the fifth-best. However, Schroeder's PR of 1:57.3 is almost two seconds faster than his West River counterpart.

Schroeder has been a key piece to the Patriots' back-to-back state cross country titles and anchored the squad's medley relay team to a win at the Dan Lennon Invitational early in the season. He also finished fourth in the 1,600 and 3,200 at state last season – a pair of events that he is considered to be stronger in than the 800.

"The 800 probably isn't his top event, but he's got the ability to go 1:57 or 1:58," said Lincoln coach Jim Jarovski. "I'm excited about it. I think he's one of the top distance runners in the state and I know he's honored to participate in it."

Ryan Phillips of Redwood Valley, Minn. rounds out the field with a PR of 1:56.40, although the senior's best open 800 time so far this season is 2:01.93.

AT A GLANCE

Special event: Boys 800-meter run

When/where: Friday, 7:25 p.m., Howard Wood Field

Online: Watch live video of both high school special events (along with interviews and race analysis) at argusleader.com

Sports Web Live: Stu Whitney and Justin Wulf will preview the special events with Howard Wood Dakota Relays board member Terry Prendergast today at 4 p.m. at argusleader.com

Coming Thursday: Preview of the Dakota Relays college events in the Argus Leader sports section.

JASE KRAFT

School Wessington Springs

Class Senior

Best time 1:58.55

DYLAN WERNER

School Bismarck (N.D.)

Class Senior

Best time 1:55.28

JACOB SIMMONS

School Sturgis

Class Junior

Best time 1:55.07

BRENNAN WITT

School Custer

Class Senior

Best time 1:53.36

CARTER LILLY

School Sioux City East

Class Senior

Best time 1:54.60

RYAN PHILLIPS

School Redwood Valley (Minn.)

Class Senior

Best time 1:56.40

NATHAN SCHROEDER

School Lincoln

Class Junior

Best time 1:57.30

RYAN STILES

School R.C.Central

Class Senior

Best time 1:59.80