We are witnessing track greatness

We don’t write much about sports in this space, after all, that’s what Jason’s column is for. We are going to do so this week, however, as we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the historic season we are seeing from the Custer High School track and field teams.
Will either of the track teams bring home a state championship at the end of the month? That remains to be seen, and while they are among the best teams in the state, the sheer numbers game and some relative weakness in some events could prevent that from happening. Be that as it may Custer has a great chance to bring home a few individual championships, as some of the Wildcats are having a season the likes of which we have never seen, and very well may never see again for a long, long time.
You can start by talking about Cade Lehman, who is laying waste to all of the other jumpers in the state, regardless of class. Earlier this season, Lehman hit a triple jump of 48-7 1/4, which not only shattered the school record by a few feet, but even shattered the all-time all-class state record by nearly a foot. For perspective, the top leap in the United States by a high school student is 51-5. It’s not inconceivable Lehman could hit the 50 foot mark at one of the remaining meets. We haven’t seen a Custer athlete this close to the top of a national leaderboard since the days of Tyler Schultz in the shot put.
Then there is Jojo Larsen, always the bridesmaid and never the bride at the state track meet, but eyeing a sweep of the 100 and 200 at the state meet and potentially a 400 relay gold as well. If you haven’t seen the anchor leg she ran at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays for Custer, head to our Facebook page and check it out. It’s absolutely amazing. Larsen continues to best her school records in both races, and has been beaten only by girls in other classes in the race this season. Those are girls she will not have to race come state meet time.
We can’t forget the Stiefel sisters, who seem to make history every time they hit the pole vault pits. Just recently, the sisters made history as the first siblings (it is believed) to finish in first, second and third in the pole vault at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays. Ciana, a senior, won the event, while eighth grader sister Tenlee came in second, although they both cleared 12-9. Just behind in third place was Kelsey, a sophomore.
Ciana will be attempting to win her third straight pole vault state championship at the end of the month, and the toughest competition she will face is two people she shares a home with. Regardless, it’s safe to say the three will make some more history, and continue to make Custer proud.
This season has truly been one for the record books, and has been an absolute joy to cover. It’s also a testament to head coach Karen Karim and her assistants, who year in and year out lead a track team that is consistently one of the best teams in the state. This year is certainly no different.
Go get them at conference and state, Wildcats, we will be watching, and we will be cheering.