The Flandreau Fliers’ girls team finished 13th in the Class A State Track and Field Meet with a team total of 16 points. The boys team did not qualify for a team score.
Faith Wiese earned a pair of third-place finishes for Flandreau, placing third in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:07.87 and placing third in the 3200 meter run with a time of 11:08.05.
On Thursday, the girls medley team placed fifth giving Wiese three medals from State.
Coach Owen Parsley summed up the state meet for his Flier teams:
“The Flandreau Flier 2023 Track and Field season came to a solid finish at last week’s State Meet. “
“Faith Wiese took on the challenges and expectations of the State Meet and shone brightly. I was thoroughly impressed by her aggressive competing and gutsy efforts! Though she entered the race seeded 6th, she ran an 11:08.05 in the 3200M which broke the previous state meet record of 11:08.85, but she was also beat by two other girls which resulted in her 3rd place finish. It goes to show how much the sport is progressing and how well these gals can race! She improved on her previous PR in the 3200 by 15 seconds! In the 1600M she also finished 3rd amidst a strong field of athletes, and improved on her previous PR by over two seconds, finishing with a blazing time of 5:07.87.”

“She helped shatter four school records this year and also shattered any pre-conceived expectations I had at the beginning of the season. An athlete like her is a special and rare talent which makes our school, community, and track and field program better.”
“Our gals sprint medley consisting of freshman Ella Hoffman, seventh grader Morgan Sheppard, eighth grader Kiley Westberry, and freshman Faith Wiese also bested by two seconds their previous medley school record set earlier this year, by running a 4:20.34 and finishing 5th place against some salty opponents. Though Morgan Sheppard’s open 400 and our girls 4X800 and 4X400 did not make finals or the awards stand, they still gave it their best shot and represented the Fliers well. As a coach, I’m proud of their persistence and tough work, and I’m thankful for their contributions to this team. And with many of them being young, the future of the girls team is indeed bright.”
“Ethan Hoffman led the boys track and field team well in our state meet, though the boys did not return home with any top eight finishes. Ethan entered the 100M dash seeded at 19th and finished with a PR of 11.32 and placing 11th. His 200M also did not climb the awards podium, and the boys 4X400 and sprint medley did not gain any medals either. However, Ethan led the team well as a senior, and sophomores Paul Parsley, Ben Kulm, Brenton Westberry, and junior Brendan Peterson showed they belong at state, while also proving the future of the boys program is exciting and promising. Good things are certainly on the horizon.”  
“As I look back on this 2023 season, I’m especially grateful for the friendship and expertise of Coach Blake Savey and Coach Georgia Adolph. Without these two, our accomplishments wouldn’t be possible.”
“Overall, praise God for these athletes’ abilities and I’m so glad to be able to coach a talented and hard working crew of guys and gals in Flandreau track and field.”


Results from Days 2 and 3
Girls 1600 Meter Run
3. Faith Wiese (Flandreau) 5:07.87
Girls 3200 Meter Run
3. Faith Wiese (Flandreau) 11:08.05