HURON — Some of the top athletes from the eastern half of the state will gather in Huron on Saturday for the Eastern South Dakota Conference Track and Field Meet at Tiger Stadium.
Field events will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the running events scheduled to begin at noon.
“It means a lot,” Huron coach Tom Baszler said of hosting the marquee event. “I am excited for the rest of the conference to get to see our new facility that the community has graciously allowed us to create out at Tiger Stadium.”
Joining Huron in the meet will be teams from Aberdeen Central, Brandon Valley, Brookings, Harrisburg, Mitchell, Pierre, Watertown and Yankton.
Baszler is looking for his team to have a strong showing against some of the state’s top athletes.
“I am hoping that we can finish toward the middle of the pack as a team and win three or four ESD individual titles,” he said.
One of the best opportunities for the Tigers to claim an ESD title will come in the boys’ pole vault, where Trent Framcom will look to improve on his mark of 15 feet, 6 inches. He used the mark to win the event during the Howard Wood Dakota Relays on Saturday in Sioux Falls and in the process established a new Huron High School record in the event.
“Trent is one of the best vaulters that this state has seen in some time,” Baszler said. “Every time he vaults its exciting. He will be ready and more than up for the challenge.”
Challenging Francom for the top spot will be Noah Sparks of Watertown, who finished second on Saturday with a vault of 14-3.