Photo: MileSplit
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South Dakota's outdoor season is a few weeks in, and the early results have given us plenty to work with.
Whether they came from the track or the field, the state has been on a roll thus far.
Check out 10 of the top performers in the state through the early weeks of the season.
Top Performers:
Charlee Williams-Smith (Pierre TF Riggs, 2026):
Leading the state in the 400m at 57.04, she also posted a 12.15 in the 100m and 25.71 in the 200m, all at the Huron Invite. Three sprint events, all from the same meet, all at the top of the state.
Rush O'Neill (Bennett County, 2027):
A 10.86 in the 100m, 23-5 in the long jump, and 6-6 in the high jump, all at the Queen City Classic. No other boy in the state has matched that kind of multi-discipline range at a single meet this season.
Ellie Maddox (Sioux Falls Christian, 2026):
The distance lists belong to Maddox so far, leading the state in the 1600m at 4:48.59 from the Scott Underwood Invitational and the 3200m at 10:11.48 from the Arcadia Invitational.
Dane Stark (Watertown, 2027):
The 800m lead belongs to Stark at 1:56.75 from the Pork Chop Relays, and he's backed it with a 4:25.35 in the 1600m and 9:46.76 in the 3200m at the Huron Invite. Three distance events, all near or at the top of the state.
Ella Bradeen (Rapid City Stevens, 2026):
The long jump belongs to Bradeen at 19-4, the clear standard in the state so far. She also posted a 12.12 in the 100m and 25.76 in the 200m, all at the Mayhem meet.
Taiton Boersma (Elkton/Lake Benton, 2026):
No high school thrower in the state has matched his profile so far, with a state-leading 52-8.25 in the shot put and 153-10 in the discus, both at the Vince Relays.
Peyson O'Neill (Bennett County, 2029):
Leading the state in the 300mH at 45.35 and ranking fourth in the 100mH at 14.97, both at the Queen City Classic, as a freshman, those marks put her in a different category from everyone else in the hurdles.
Kyson Fayant (Aberdeen Central, 2026):
The 300mH lead belongs to Fayant at 39.43 from the Huron Invite, and his 50.17 in the 400m at the Bob Judson Invitational gives him a two-event profile that stretches from the flat sprints to the barriers.
Peyton VanDeest (Spearfish, 2027):
Ranking second in the state in both the 1600m at 4:59.35 and the 3200m at 10:15.93, VanDeest has shown up in three distance events through the early weeks of the season.
Ava Holzwarth (Rapid City Stevens, 2027):
A 25.57 in the 200m, 12.33 in the 100m, and 18-11 in the long jump, all at the Queen City Classic. Three events from one meet, all ranking among the top marks in the state so far this season.
Photo: MileSplit
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