Stevens' Simeon Birnbaum sets pace for Top 15 Class AA boys' track & field athletes to watch
It's hard to get much better than Rapid City Stevens' senior distance runner Simeon Birnbaum and that's why he's the only choice to lead a list of the top 15 South Dakota Class AA boys' track and field athletes to watch this spring.
Where do we start? Birnbaum won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs as a sophomore in the 2021 state track meet and repeated by winning all three races: 800 (1:51.03), 1,600 (4:15.85) and 3,200 (9:27.13) in the 2022 state meet while also anchoring the Raiders' winning medley relay. He was named to outstanding Class AA track athlete in the meet.
Birnbaum is the South Dakota's reigning Gatorade Athlete of the Year in both track and field and cross country who will run for the University of Oregon. He also holds state records in both the 1,600 (3:59.31) and 3,200 (8:34.10). He shattered his own 3,200 record by more than 22 seconds recently in a meet at Arcadia, Calif.
Others to watch include:
Jaden Guthmiller, Spearfish
Guthmiller is back for his senior season after winning the 100 (10.91) and 200 (22.26) dashes in the 2022 state meet.
As a sophomore, he was third in the 200 and fourth in the 100.
Tim Bishop, Harrisburg
Harrisburg's boys won their first state Class AA track title last spring with a lot of help from Bishop. He finished second in the 100 (11.11) and 200 (22.33), ran on the second-place 800 relay and also helped the sixth-place medley relay team reach the finals by running in the event in the prelims.
In the 2021 state meet, Bishop ran the runner-up 400 and 800 relay teams for the Tigers.
Austin Gobel, Yankton
The Yankton junior also can cover ground quickly as evidenced by his third-place finish in the 100 (11.19) and eighth-place finish in the 200 (23.3) in last May's state meet. He also ran on the third-place 800 relay for the Bucks.
Gobel placed fourth in the 400 at state as a freshman in 2021.
Kael Miedema, Sioux Falls Washington
The University of Nebraska recruit is looking to repeat as the shot put (59-10.5) and discus (173-8) state champion.
The 6-foot-7, 310-pound Miedema also attracted plenty of attention from college football coaches as an offensive lineman for the Warriors. He placed third in the discus as sophomore.
Jason Maciejczak, Pierre
Maciejczak competed for Douglas as a junior last spring and finished second behind Miedema in both the shot put (54-9.75) and discus (165-8).
The 6-4, 320-pound senior is now at Pierre and has signed to play college football at the University of Nebraska.
He placed second in the discus and third in the shot put as a sophomore.
Aidan Hedderman, Sturgis
Hedderman won the 110-meter hurdles (15.13) and also placed fifth in the pole vault (13-0) as a sophomore in last year's state meet.
He also placed as a freshman at state, taking eighth in the 110s.
Aiden Heimann, Aberdeen Central
There's no truth to the rumor that you have be named Aidan and Aiden to win a state Class AA hurdles' title. It just worked out that way last spring with Hedderman winning the 110s and Heimann racing to victory in the 300 hurdles (39.96).
Heimann, now a senior, also ran on the third-place 1,600 relay and sixth-place medley relay for the Golden Eagles.
Vaughn Brown, Sioux Falls Roosevelt
The Roosevelt junior placed fifth in the 110 hurdles (15.681) and seventh in he 300 hurdles (42.16) at the 2022 state meet and also ran on the runner-up 1,600 relay for the Riders.
Griffin Wilde, Sioux Falls Jefferson
The talented all-around athlete is going to play wide receiver at South Dakota State, but can also use that ability on in track and field.
At last year's state meet, he finished second in the long jump (22-8) and also ran on two runner-up relay teams (400 and medley) and another relay (1,600) that finished sixth.
Owen Spartz, Watertown
The Arrow junior won the Class AA boys' pole vault in last year's state meet by clearing 14 feet, 6 inches.
He's gone higher than that, including clearing 15-6 to better his own school record in the event already this spring.
Spartz took third at state in the pole vault as a freshman in 2021.
Brayden Delahoyde, Spearfish
Another returning state individual champion is Delahoyde, a junior who cleared 6-7 to win the boys' high jump. He also ran on the seventh-place 1,600 relay.
Drew Salfrank, Aberdeen Central
Heimann was the only athlete who helped the Golden Eagles record a fourth-place finish in what was a closely-contested battle for the state team title last spring.
Salfrank, now a senior, placed fourth in the 400 dash (50.57) and ran on three relay teams that placed: third-place 1,600 and sixth-place 800 and medley.
Carson Barnett, Harrisburg
The javelin throw as an official event at the state meet for Class AA boys and girls last spring and the Harrisburg senior put his name in the history books by taking the first AA boys' title with a throw of 173 feet, 9 inches.
Nate Andresen, Brandon Valley
The list wouldn't be complete without somebody from Brandon Valley, which finished third in the state meet last spring. The Lynx had a strong showing in the relays, winning the 400, 800 and 1,600. They also finished third in the medley and fourth in the 3,200.
Andersen, a senior, not only ran on the winning 400 and 800 relays but he also added a sixth-place finish in the 200 dash (22.96).
Other 2023 Top 15 Lists
Class A Boys: Top 15 Class A Boys Track Athletes to Watch include Custer's Boyster, SF Christian quartet
Class B Boys: Chester Area's Wolf leads top 15 Class B boys track athletes to watch
Class AA Girls: Here are 16 of the top returning Class AA girls track and field athletes this spring.
Class A Girls: Leiseth, Engelland and Ecoffey lead top 15 Class A girls' track athletes to watch
Class B Girls: Colman-Egan's Luze, Lee among top 15 Class B girls' track athletes to watch
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Fifteen of the top Class AA boys' track and field athletes to watch
