The 2021 South Dakota High School track season will have some changes in the way athletes qualify for the state meet.
Prior to this season, athletes qualified for the state meet by meeting a standard time/distance/height or by finishing in the top two of their event in the region meet. Starting with this season, the state qualifiers will be the “Top 24” in each of the event after the regional meets have finished. There will be no more automatic qualifiers from the region meets.
Results of the meets throughout the season will be entered at Athletic.net or the SDHSAA website. Coaches will need to have performances entered into either of the sites before the start of the state meet to help determine the “Top 24”.
Athletes and fans can follow the top performances throughout the year by creating a free account at the Athletic.net and following this page: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/SouthDakota/
The state meet will also be slightly different due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Each of the three classes will compete both days of the state meet at their own locations. Class AA will be in Sturgis at Woodle Field. Class A will compete at Lyle Hara Stadium at Black Hills State University in Spearfish. Class B will be held at O’Hara Memorial Stadium on the campus of SDSM&T in Rapid City.
The South Dakota High School Activities Association is requesting that all fans attending the state meet wear masks and remain socially distant during the event as much as possible.