VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota director of track and field & cross country Lucky Huber is pleased to announce the addition of 11 newcomers to the track and field program for the 2023-24 season.
 
Kinslee Bosak | Hurdles | Wahoo, Neb. | Bishop Neumann HS
 
A hurdler out of Wahoo, Nebraska, Kinslee Bosak won the 2023 Nebraska state championship in the Class C 300-meter hurdles with a time of 44.54 seconds. She also finished runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.24 and ran on the Cavalier's third-place 4x400 relay. As a junior, she qualified in four events and ran on the victorious 4x800 relay at the state championships. Bosak also played basketball and volleyball for the Cavaliers, earning all-area and honorable mention all-state honors in both sports. An honor roll student and a member of the National Honors Society, Bosak plans to major in kinesiology and sport management at South Dakota.
 
Davis Buck | Middle Distance | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Sioux Falls Christian HS
 
A middle distance runner out of nearby Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Davis Buck led Sioux Falls Christian High School to back to-back state championship titles as a junior and senior. He was a member of the Chargers' victorious 4x400-meter relay, 4x800-meter relay and 1600 medley relay at the state meet his senior year. Individually, he was the state runner-up in the 800 meters and the Dak 12 Conference champion in the event. His personal best of 1:55.04 for 800 meters also ranked in the top-five across all classes for the event. Buck also played basketball for the Chargers. He graduated with academic honors from Sioux Falls Christian and plans to major in business administration at USD.
 
Dylan Curtis | Pole Vault | Redondo Beach, Calif. | Redondo Union HS
 
A pole vaulter hailing from Redondo Beach, California, Dylan Curtis finished runner-up in the pole vault at the California state championship meet. He captured the CIF Southern Section title as well. Curtis owns a personal best of 16-6 in the pole vault. Outside of the prep season, he finished runner-up at the 2023 California Winter Championships and took second at the USATF Region 15 Junior Olympic Decathlon Championships. Curtis plans to enroll in South Dakota's Beacom School of Business.
 
Malakai Hale | Middle Distance | Earlham, Iowa | Earlham HS
 
Hailling from Earlham, Iowa, Malakai Hale was a five-time state champion at Earlham High School. He finished runner-up in the 800 meters at the 2023 Iowa State Track & Field Championships with a clocking of 1:57.44. At the same meet, he anchored the Cardinals 4x800-meter relay to victory. Hale owns personal bests of 1:55 for 800 meters and 49.6 for 400 meters. He also played basketball for the Cardinals.
 
Evan Janzen | Middle Distance | Sergeant Bluff, Iowa | Sergeant Bluff-Luton HS
 
A three-time state track and field qualifier from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, Evan Janzen anchored the Warriors' fourth-place 4x400-meter relay at the 2023 Iowa State Track & Field Championships. He also qualified for the state meet in cross country as a senior. He also played basketball and baseball for the Warriors, helping Sergeant Bluff-Luton reach the state basketball tournament in 2022. He's a three-time all-Missouri River Conference honoree in cross country and track & field. He owns SBL's school record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:59.6. An honor roll student, Janzen plans to major in health sciences at South Dakota.
 
Luther Nesheim | High Jump | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lincoln HS
 
A local product out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Luther Nesheim captured the high jump crown at the 2023 South Dakota State Track & Field Championships. Following the spring, he was presented with the 2023 Lincoln High School Outstanding Boys Field Athlete Award. He owns a personal best of 6-5 in the high jump. A Regents Scholar at Lincoln High School, Nesheim plans to major in sport marketing and media at USD.
 
Emma Rauch-Word | Hurdles/Jumps | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island HS
 
A three-time state medalist in Nebraska's largest class, Emma Rauch-Word placed third in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.90 seconds in May. She finished third in the long jump and eighth in the 100 hurdles as a junior. She also played softball for Grand Island Senior High. An academic letterwinner and honor roll student, Rauch-Word received the NCPA Academic All-State award for track and field in 2022. She plans to major in psychology at USD.
 
Noel Spence | Multis | East Lansing, Mich. | Lansing Catholic HS | Michigan State
 
The Michigan indoor long jump champion, Noel Spence transfers out of Michigan State following his freshman season with the Spartans. Spence was a five-time all-state honoree in the jumps in addition to winning the long jump at the 2021 Michigan State Track & Field Indoor Championships. He held Lansing Catholic's program records for the high jump (6-6) and long jump (22-1 ½). Spence also placed 13th in the decathlon at the 2021 Nike Outdoor Nationals. A member of the National Honor Society, Spence plans to major in kinesiology and sport management at South Dakota.
 
Carsen Staehr | Jumps | Aurora, Neb. | Aurora HS
 
A six-time state medalist out of Aurora, Nebraska, Carsen Staehr swept the triple and long jumps at the 2023 Nebraska State Track & Field Championships. He owns three golds in all, going back-to-back in the triple jump with a victorious leap of 47-9 ¾ (14.75m) this spring to defend his title. His winning long jump this spring was 23-0 ¼ (7.02m). Staehr was a starter on Aurora's football team, helping the Huskies finish runner-up at the Nebraska State Championships twice. He was an all-state first team selection as a senior and a two-time all-district selection. He also garnered honorable mention all-conference honors on the basketball court. In the classroom, he was an honor roll student, member of the National Honor Society and an academic all-state honoree. An officer and national qualifier for the Future Business Leaders of America, Staehr plans to major in business finance at USD.
 
Sykora Stanek | Multis | Reedsburg, Wis. | Reedsburg Area HS
 
A three-time state qualifier, Sykora Stanek placed eighth in the triple jump in Division I of the 2023 Wisconsin State Championships. She captured the triple jump title at both the Badger West Conference meet and the regional meet as a senior. The future multi-eventer owns personal bests of 26.79 for 200 meters, 35-4 in the triple jump and 29-9 in the shot put. Her 4x100-meter relay squad broke the program record during her junior season. Stanek captured the team MVP twice for Reedsburg Area High School. She also won the Beaver Challenge in 2020 and 2022. A multi-talented athlete, Stanek also participated in golf, basketball, dance and cross country while at Reedsburg Area High School. A member of the National Honor Society and honor roll student, Stanek plans to major in kinesiology and sport management at South Dakota.
 
Alexander Wear | Middle Distance | Johnston, Iowa | Johnston HS
 
A middle distance runner out of Johnston, Iowa, Alexander Wear medaled in four events to help Johnston High School capture a team title at the 2023 Iowa State Track & Field Championships. Wear ran a leg of the Dragon's victorious 4x400-meter relay, a leg of the runner-up 4x800-meter relay that clocked under the former state record, a leg of the runner-up distance medley and finished seventh in the open 400 meters (49.68). He also captured a Kansas Relays crown this spring with his distance medley relay. He owns personal bests of 49.1 in the 400 meters and 1:57 in the 800 meters, although he's also clocked an 800-meter relay split of 1:54. A three-time academic letterwinner, Wear plans to enroll in South Dakota's school of business.