History and
Tradition
The
Roosevelt Rough Rider Track and Field program is currently in its 18th
year.
Although a relative newcomer
to the South Dakota
High School ranks, the
track and field program has achieved numerous outstanding individual and team performances.
Roosevelt’s first individual state champion came in the high jump, the second
year the school was open, in 1993. Matt
Heisel jumped 6’ 8 ¼” as a senior. This
mark still stands as the school record.
Three
years later in 1996, Lisa Griebel started her 2-year domination of the shot put
event. Lisa won state championships in
1996 and 1997. After her senior year,
she was invited to the Golden West Track & Field
Meet in Sacramento, CA.
She won this meet, making her one of the best high school shot putters
in the nation. A scholarship took her to
Iowa State University
where she won numerous Big 12 conference championships and earned All-American
status. In June 2000 Lisa finished 6th in the United States Olympic Trials. Lisa is currently 5th
on the all-time best South Dakota
performances list. Joining Lisa on the
championship award stand in 1997, Kaylee Keating won the 3200 M run.
Roosevelt’s
success in the weights continued. For
the next 2 years, Susan Sherman won both the shot put and the discus at the 1998
and 1999 state meets. Susan was also invited to the Golden West Meet after her senior
year, making her one of the nation’s best throwers as well. Also going to Iowa State University, she earned conference
championships in addition to All-American status. Her best disc throw in high school of 157’
2” is currently 2nd on the SD all-time
performance list.
In
2000, the boys team achieved the ultimate goal of winning the state
championship. The boys won five events
in the state meet on their way to the championship. Ryan Ovenden led the way winning the 100 M
dash, 200 M dash and 4x200 M relay. He was also named the AA Most Valuable Athlete of the state
meet. Rob Hutchinson was also involved
in three championships winning the 110 M high hurdles, 4x200 M relay and 4x400 M
relay. Also helping on the 4x200 and
4x400 relays were Erik Johnson and Jared Essen. The fourth member of the 4x400 was Zach Kiesow. The
boys 4x200 M relay currently holds down the 7th
spot on the SD all-time performance list.
Rob Hutchinson’s time of 14.2 in the high hurdles is currently tied for 4th on the list.
Roosevelt continued to win individual state championships in 2001 and 2002. The girl’s team of Megan Swier, Charia
Anderson, Shelly Erickson and Breanna Dumke won the 4x200 M relay in 2001. In 2002 Chris
VandeHoef won the high jump and Josh Heisel, Mett Kenyon, Tim Robinson and Erik
Bies won the 4x400 M relay.
In
2003, Tyler Wetering won four events at the state meet. Tyler
placed first in the 800 M run, 1600 M run, 3200 M run and in anchoring the
medley relay. The other members of the
relay included Jason Glasco, Kiel Ricci and Jeremy Lynde. Tyler
was also named the AA Most Valuable Athlete for the
2003 state meet.
The
girls won three events at the 2004 state meet, Allison Eckert in the 3200 M
run, Stacy Gould in the triple jump, and the medley relay of Charia Anderson,
Lori Hargens, Breanna Dumke and Krista Eckert. Throughout the 2004 season, the girls also
achieved numerous all-time South Dakota
top 10 performances. Stacy Gould’s
triple jump of 37’ 3” ranks her 10th. Running 9:22.50 in the 4x800 M relay, the
team of Allison Duba, Brittany Thune,
Allison Eckert and Krista Eckert is ranked 8th . The medley relay team of Lori Hargens, Kara Davidson, Breanna Dumke and Krista Eckert is
currently ranked 6th with a time of
4:11.03.
The
2005 Roosevelt track and field team brought
home 5 individual state championships.
On the boys side, both champions were in the weight events, Ryan Schuttloffel in the shot put and Ryan Wallin
in the discus. On the girls side, Krista
Eckert in the 800 M run and repeat champion Allison Eckert in the 3200 M
run. The medley relay team of Larissa Thune, Meghan Nelson, Allison Duba and Krista Eckert also won with a time of 4:11.19,
which is currently the 7th spot on the SD
top 10 list. Other top 10 performances
during the season included Krista Eckert who is currently 2nd
in the 1600 M run with a time of 4:53.44.
She also sits 3rd in the 800 M run
with a time of 2:11.30. Allison Eckert
is currently 3rd in the 1600 M run with a
time of 4:53.81. Two additional relay
teams ranked in the top 10 during the 2005 season as well. The medley relay of Larissa Thune, Victoria Johnson, Kara Davidson and Krista Eckert
ran 4:08.34 and the 4x800 M relay team of Brittany Thune,
Allison Duba, Krista Eckert and Allison Eckert ran
9:08.61. Both of these relays currently rank 2nd. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, both
Allison and Krista Eckert were invited to participate
at the Golden West Meet in Sacramento,
CA. Krista finished 5th
in the 800 M run and Allison finished 2nd in the 3200 M run.
The
2006 Roosevelt track and field team brought
home 6 individual state championships.
On the boys side, both champions were again in the weight events,
Antonio Thompson in the shot put and Tyler Lynch in the discus. On the girls side, Megan Bren
won the 100 M dash and Allison Eckert was a three time
champion winning the 800 M run, 1600 M run and the 3200 M run. Allison was also named
the AA Most Valuable Athlete of the meet.
The girls team also added four SD top 10 performances during the
season. Individually, Allison Eckert ran
10:19.74 in the 3200 M run and 2:11.24 in the 800 M run. These two times rank her 1st
and 2nd respectively in the two events. Two additional relay teams ranked in the top
10 during the 2006 season as well. The
medley relay of Victoria Johnson, Megan Bren, Krista
Eckert and Allison Eckert ran 4:10.79 and the 4x800 M relay team of Brittany Thune, Caitlyn Crowley, Allison
Eckert and Krista Eckert ran 9:14.62.
Both of these relays currently rank 5th. Roosevelt
athletes also found success at national meets outside of the 2006 season. Prior to the start of the 2006 track season,
Brittany Thune, Caitlyn
Crowley, Allison Eckert and Krista Eckert were invited to the Nike Indoor
National Track and Field Meet held in Washington DC. This foursome finished 2nd
in the 4x800 relay and 3rd in the distance medley relay. At the conclusion of the 2006 season, Allison
Eckert was invited to the Nike Outdoor National Track and Field meet where she
finished 6th in the Two-mile run.
The
2007 track and field team accumulated 5 individual and relay state
championships. On the boys side, Bill
Kogel won the 3200 M run and Tyler Lynch was a repeat state champion, bringing
home the discus. On the girls side,
Allison Eckert was a repeat state champion in the 800 M run and
also teamed with Erin Hargens, Bailey Breems and Krista Eckert to win the 4x800 M relay in a time
of 9:19.91. That relay time is currently 6th
on the SD top 10 list. Roosevelt
also captured the championship in the 4x200 M relay. The winning foursome consisted of Shaunteva Ashley, Larissa Thune, Meghan Nelson and Megan Bren.
The
Roosevelt track and field team of 2008 had 3 individual state champions. On the boys side, the state championships
came in the longest and shortest events.
Bill Kogel was a repeat state champion in the
3200 M Run while Brock Bills won the 100 M Dash. The girls lone state champion was Erin Hargens in the 1600 M Run.
2009
brought one state championship to Roosevelt, the girls 4x200 M relay. The foursome included two members of the 2007
winning relay in Megan Bren and Shaunteva
Ashley plus the addition of two freshmen, Ashley McDonald and Karlie Mueller.
During the summer of 2009, Alex Lugo competed in the 800 M Run at the
Midwest Distance Gala running a time of 1:54.28 which
ranks 4th on the SD top 10 list.
The
Roosevelt track and field program has completed
18 years of competition. Over the past 18
years, there have been 33 individual state champions, 11 relay state champions
and one boy’s team championship. The track and field team also has a streak of
at least one state champion every year for the past 14 years, dating back to
1996. This year’s
returning athletes should be able to continue this streak and make it 15
straight years of state championships.
The Roosevelt
High School coaching
staff also takes pride in the fact that over 55 student athletes have gone on
after high school to compete at the college level in track and field.
Tradition
Never Graduates
Become
Part Of It
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