PAGE 4: SPRING SPORTS 2016 PRESS & DAKOTAN PLAIN TALK Team Concept Keeps Tanager Tracksters Together BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net Vermillion High School track and field competes against a number of larger schools in Class A, but the Tanagers head coach Lenni Billberg believes this team has a certain advantage over others. “A lot of teams are divided into male-female and we just have a team,” she said. “We don’t have that distinction that you have to be on the boys’ team or the girls’ team. Yes, you run your event, but it’s just the Tanagers and we run together.” Of the state meet qualifiers from last year’s season, all are returning this year including the girls’ 1600 sprint medley relay team who broke a Vermillion High School record on the first day of the state meet. “Our kids performed really well at state,” Billberg said. “They beat expectations and beat times that we didn’t know we were capable of quite yet. All of our relays ran really, really well and did what we asked them to do and were successful. Then that builds into this year where everybody come back and it really makes it fun for us because they know what they can achieve, so they have been working really, really hard.” The entire Vermillion track and field team graduated just two senior from last year and though some may look at it as a disadvantage to have such a young team, this year’s seniors are confident in the younger runners since most have been competing since middle school. The freshmen and sophomores on the team are still looked at as veteran runners making the jobs of the senior captains a little easier. “A lot of them have been around for a long time, but basically just encourage- VERMILLION: Jeremiah Johnson TRACK & FIELD Mar. 28 Apr. 5 Apr. 7 Apr. 12 Apr. 14 Apr. 19 Apr. 21 Apr. 26 Apr. 29 May 6 May 6-7 May 12 May 19 May 27/28 VERMILLION: Maddie Lavin (front) ment and helping where it’s due,” said senior captain Katie Kost. “Since everybody knows each other really well, everybody has hard days and good days, so we just help each other and encourage each other and basically push each other.” The girls’ medley relay team of McKenna Druecker, Maddie Greguire, Rachel Brady and Maddie Lavin beat the previous record by almost a full second, a significant difference in the world of track. The previous record was also held by a team with the runner who holds the state record in the 400 meter dash. “Our old record was set by our all-time record holder in the 400, which is the state’s all-time record at 56 seconds, and if she was on that team it means, collectively, our group (last season) ran really, really fast,” Billberg said. Two members of the medley relay team were also part of the 4x400 meter relay team that placed seventh. Lavin, Brady, McKenna Koble and Katie Kost will all be returning for another run at the podium. “We actually didn’t graduate anybody off of the state team, so we are hoping to get after it again this year and qualify and hopefully place better than we did last year,” said senior Katie Kost. In distance, Kost, Lavin and Brady are all return- ing and leading the way for newcomer Taryn Whisler, a seventh grader who made a name for herself in the fall cross country season. Whisler finished 77th at the Class A state cross country meet and was the second Vermillion runner behind Lavin’s second place finish. “(Whisler) is running hard and working hard and is a great training partner for Maddie,” Billberg said. “It gives her another push.” On the boys’ team, the Tanagers will be starting the year off with the return of senior Jeremiah Johnson, who missed a majority of last year with an injury. “It will be nice to get off to a fresh start and not have Dan Lennon — Elk Point-Jefferson Inv. — VHS Booster Club — Canton Inv. 4 p.m. Lennox Inv. 4 p.m. Tea Area Inv. 4 p.m. Lennox Inv. 4 p.m. Dakota Valley Inv. 4 p.m. First Dakota Relays (Yankton) 2 p.m. O’Gorman Inv. 10 a.m. Howard Wood 2 p.m./9 a.m. Dakota XII (Canton) 2:30 p.m. Region 4A (Elk Point) 2 p.m. State (Madison/SF) 9 a.m. to deal with any injuries or anything and hopefully just stay healthy throughout the season so I don’t have to watch my team run without me,” Johnson said. He competed at the state meet last year as part of the place-winning medley relay team, who again returns all runners, and is focusing on staying healthy to be able to compete for is his senior season. “(I) just focus on warm ups and stretching afterwards,” Johnson said. “You just have to take care of your body because it’s a long season.” Johnson is just one of a long list of runners from the boys’ team returning and looking for repeat state meet appearances. “All our guys are looking good,” Billberg said. “Logan Peterson is looking his strongest ever. He was a qualifier in the 800 last year and ran our medley and 4x400 legs on that. We just look strong. Matt Barley is back, Jon Rosales is back and they worked hard this winter and I think they are a little hungry to take one more step on that podium and see what they can do at the state level.” The Tanagers will be up against teams in the always competitive Class A Region 4 including Dakota Valley who placed fourth in the girls team scores last season. ‘ “We have tough, tough teams in our region, so we were going to be competitive,” Billberg said. “They have some bigger teams, but we have some quality so we’ll see where we matchup against them. And I think we’ll do well finishing second at the region last year, that could be of some expectations this year as we role.” Vermillion opened the season on April 5 at Elk PointJefferson. Golf: Confident VHS Looks To Build On Top-Four Finish BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net Confidence is reeling around the Vermillion High School girls’ golf team after last season’s fourth place finish at the state tournament and with returning four of its five state golfers for this year. “We’re definitely in the top three teams,” said senior Kayla Stammer. Kyleigh Moran, Kate Brockelvelt, Emily Schmitz and Stammer are all returning to the links this season after competing at last season’s Class A state tournament in Madison that was won by Parkston, the Trojans fourth straight state title. “Coming back with most of the team is definitely a big advantage,” Stammer said. VERMILLION: Sam Craig “A lot of (other teams) have lost some of the really good seniors whereas with us, only losing one, we have some really young girls who are stepping up and doing just as well as we were doing last BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN year.” Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net Scores for Vermillion from BOYS’ TENNIS the two-day state tournament Vermillion High School last season ranged from 182 Apr. 5 at Luverne — boys’ tennis is entering the to 213. Moran shot the lowest Apr. 12 at Brandon Valley 4 p.m. Apr. 19 Yankton/at Washington 1 p.m. 2016 after its best showing at score of the team with a 98 Apr. 21 vs. S.F. Christian 4 p.m. last season’s state tournain round one and 84 in round Apr. 22 Mitchell Quad 10 a.m. Apr. 25 vs. S.C. North 4 p.m. ment in almost a decade, but two. Apr. 26 at Yankton 4 p.m. will be doing so with only two Vermillion ended the May 2 Mitchell Quad 10:30 a.m. returning varsity players. tournament in fourth place, May 6 at S.C. East 4 p.m. May 9 vs. S.F. Roosevelt 4 p.m. “We are losing those but earned a first place finish May 12 vs. S.F. Lincoln 4 p.m. three (tournament players), at the region tournament and May 14 Madison Inv. 9 a.m. plus there were three other May 19-21 State (Rapid City) are ready for a repeat of that seniors that weren’t playing and then some. on varsity, but we had a big “We’ve gone out and doing pretty well last year bulk of kids that were that played our first nine holes age,” said head coach Betsey and I think we are doing well and now we are basically just this year as well.” Hughes. “This year we are trying to figure out what each According to Hughes, going to have two returning individual needs to work on,” Craig earned the most wins players that played varsity Stammer said. “I’m working of any team member last year on aim, but someone else last year.” The two returning players, TENNIS | PAGE 5 seniors Sam Craig and Daniel Robinson, are stepping into the captain roles and have the responsibility of guiding a new team through the season and into the state tournament at the end of May. “It’s all about making them 105 S. 5th St. part of the team,” Craig said. “We try to play as much as PO Box 345 we can with them as well Heating & Cooling Inc. Menno, SD as improving ourselves and teaching them the correct 387-5111 28157 County Rd. 11 form, how to have fun in Hours: tennis and the right strategy Olivet, SD 57052 Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and all of that. It’s just a long 605) 387-5298 Saturday 9am-Noon process and I think we were Young Tanagers Look To Build Off Strong 2015 Finish MENNO STATE BANK Riverside VERMILLION: 2015 Class A Fourth Place Finishers aside, Stammer said the team carries a lot of depth where they won’t be looking for one Apr. 4 at Canton — girl to carry them through Apr. 12 vs. Madison 2 p.m. the season. Apr. 21 Elk Point-Jefferson Inv. 9 a.m. “Everyone can shoot close Apr. 26 Dakota Valley Inv. 10 a.m. Apr. 29 vs. Lennox/Beresford 4 p.m. to the same scores,” she said. May 3 Dell Rapids Inv. 9 a.m. “I think that’s probably the May 9 West Central Inv. 9 a.m. biggest advantage we have. May 12 at Dakota Valley 4 p.m. May 16 Vermillion Inv. 9 a.m. We don’t have like two girls May 23 Dakota XII Conf. (Vermillion) that stand out really well, 9 a.m. May 31 Region 2A (Canton) 9 a.m. we’re all about the same.” June 6-7 State A (Hot Springs) After last season’s delays at the state tournament due to snow and frost in May, might be working on putting this year’s tournament in Hot or approach shots.” Springs is scheduled to take Head coach Kirk Hogan has some of his own thoughts place June 6-7, and with four seniors on the team, Stamon where the improvements mer and Schmitz are hoping need to be seen. it gives them a little extra “He’s always stressing practice time. to us about short game,” “They’ve also moved our Schmitz said. “Last year season back a couple weeks that was something we so us seniors — there’s four were not really good at. He’s of us — we’re going to be out really stressing to us this of school for about a month year about short game and before our state tournament,” putting.” Stammer said. “We’re going With the little skill work GIRLS’ GOLF Kronaizl Insurance, LLC 621 Main Scotland, SD 605-583-4272 to have plenty more time to practice.” Maybe even a chance to travel out to Hot Springs for a round at Southern Hills Golf Course. “Since we’re getting out so early, we’ll hopefully get the chance to go out to Hot Springs and practice a round,” Schmitz said. Vermillion’s golf season opened on Monday in Canton then the Tanagers return home for a match against Madison at the Bluffs Golf Course, one of only four home matches this season, including hosting the Dakota XII Conference tournament on May 23. “We’re going to be ready to bring home the big trophy this year,” Schmitz said. HAASE BAR & GRILL MENNO WOLVES Track & Field Mar. 29................................Dan Lennon Apr. 5 ................................. Scotland Inv. Apr. 12 .........Rotary Relays (Centerville) Apr. 14 .............................Menno Relays Apr. 15 .....................................Avon Inv. Apr. 19 ....................... Gayville-Volin Inv. Apr. 21 ................... Flyer Inv. (Freeman) Apr. 28 ............Erv Ptak Relays (Menno) Apr. 30 .................................Howard Inv. May 3 .......Don Diede Relays (Freeman) May 6-7........Howard Wood Relays (SF) May 12 ...........Cornbelt Conf. (Freeman) May 19 ................. Region 5B (Scotland) May 27-28................. State (Sioux Falls) 605-583-2329 YOU DREAM IT. WE’LL PROTECT IT. 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