Four-year wait for home meet set to end for Watertown High School's track athletes

Watertown's Gavin Robison passes the baton to teammate James Clendenin in the boys' 800-meter relay at last week's Corn Palace Relays in Mitchell. Watertown is slated to host the 60th Watoma Relays track and field meet on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex.

The biggest change of all

The biggest change of all for the meet is really the updated Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex, which underwent a three-year renovation project before it was completed last August.

Allen Mitchell Field served as the host site for Watertown track and field meets since 1980 and now, after the renovation, it is now also home to the Arrow soccer and football teams. Watertown's football team played its 2025 season at the new facility (complete with a new turf field) after playing their home games at Watertown Stadium every year since 1941. The soccer teams have played there the past two years.

It was actually the renovation, and not the weather, that forced the 2025 Watoma Relays to be canceled.

Athletes will get the chance to compete on the new eight-lane track as well as the new pit areas for the long and triple jumps, pole vault along with newly-designated spots for the high jump and the three throwing (discus, shot put and javelin) events.

"It's definitely first class and I like it a lot," Rohde said.

Another first for the Watoma Relays this week will be an opportunity for those in attendance to see replays of certain races on the new sizeable video board at the complex.

Watertown's Shauna Evenson heads for the pit in the girls' long jump during last week's Corn Palace Relays at Mitchell. Watertown is scheduled to host the 60th Watoma Relays track and field on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex.

A long wait to end for the Arrows

Friday will not only mark a four-year wait for the Watoma Relays, but also a four-year wait for WHS track and field athletes to get an opportunity to compete at home.

The Arrows haven't held a home meet since the 2022 Watoma Relays. Senior thrower Malia Kranz and junior distance runner Kate McElroy might be the only two current WHS athletes who competed in the 2022 Watoma Relays.

Watertown is ready.

"Our team in general, from the athletes through the coaches, our administration, the Watoma Club ... everybody is very excited to just be able to finally compete on the new track," Rohde said. "It's been a long time coming."

Although Mother Nature hasn't fully allowed spring to take over in northeastern South Dakota, the WHS track teams competed April 10 in a meet at Huron and also participated in outdoor meets last week at Clear Lake and Mitchell and another one on April 21 at Brookings.

The Watoma Relays will give the Arrow athletes a chance to improve their times and distances to help their cause in next week's Howard Wood Dakota Relays at Sioux Falls.

"I would expect us to have a few event champions in the mix," Rohde said in reference to the Watoma Relays.

HONORARY REFEREE: Watertown track meet set for Friday at the Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex

Schedule of events

The meet is scheduled to open at 11:30 a.m. for both running and field events, which will follow a rolling schedule.

In running events, the fastest heat will be held first followed by others. In field events, the top flight will go last (based on numbers accumulated so far this spring). The top eight in the throwing and jumping events (not including pole vault) will advance to the finals.

• Running Events (Rolling Schedule) — In each event girls will run first, followed by the boys: 3,200-meter relay, 100 and 110 hurdles, Special Olympics 100 dash, 100 dash, 800 relay, 1,600 run, 400 relay, 400 dash, 300 hurdles, medley relay, 800 run, 200 dash, 3,200 run, Marv Sherrill 1,600 relay (girls), Jerry McElroy 1,600 relay (boys) and banana relay.
• Field Events (Rolling Schedule) — Girls javelin, boys javelin, Ray Rylance girls pole vault, Wade Knutson boys pole vault, girls long jump, boys long jump, girls discus, boys discus, boys triple jump, girls triple jump, boys high jump, girls high jump, boys shot put and girls shot put.

There will be an awards presention held after the 300-meter hurdles races.

In addition, a special moment of silence will be held for longtime Watertown teacher and coach Marv Sherrill and Phillip Davis, a 1998 WHS graduate and distance runner who won three events to help lead Watertown's boys to the state Class AA track and field title as a senior. Sherrill and Davis each passed away recently.

To follow results from the relays, visit dakotatiming.com or athletic.net.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Preview for 60th Watoma Relays track meet