MITCHELL – Neither of the South Dakota Gatorade Track and Field Athletes of the Year are anything close to surprises.
Hamlin thrower Gracelyn Leiseth is the award winner for the third straight year. Rapid City Stevens distance runner Simeon Birnbaum has won for the second year in a row.
Leiseth, who will compete collegiately at Florida, set the state record in the girls discus this past season with a throw of 175 feet, three inches at the Northeast Conference track and field meet. She ranked third nationally in both the discus and shot put. In March, Leiseth set the state indoor record for the girls shot put at the Dan Lennon meet with a throw of 52 feet, six and a quarter inches.
Birnbaum, who is committed to the University of Oregon, won the 3200-meter run at the Arcadia Invitational in California this year in a time of 8:34.10, best among high school runners in the country this season. He also won the mile run at the Hoka Festival of Miles in St. Louis in 3:57.53, top among high school runners in the nation this season and fourth all-time.
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