Ten meet records fall in ESD meet at Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex

WATERTOWN — The first Eastern South Dakota Conference track and field meet held in Watertown since 2011 definitely turned out to be a memorable one. The combination of same great weather, the recently-renovated Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex and some talented athletes led to a record-setting day on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Ten meet records fell in the meet, which featured 10 schools.

"When you pair our facility, the excitement of an ESD meet, high-quality athletes from every school and this weather ... good things are bound to happen," Watertown coach Chad Rohde said. "It was one of the most memorable ESD overall performances in a long time.

"To have that happen on our home facility was one of the things that we as coaches and our athletes will certainly remember. " Before this spring, Watertown hadn't held a home track meet since 2022. That was partly due to a renovation project at the former Allen Mitchell Field that included the installation of a new turf field and a new 8-lane running track, along with new seating, pressbox and locker room area.

The Watoma Relays track and field meet was held in April and set the stage for the conference meet. "First and foremost, our facility is top notch and truly the best facility in the state of South Dakota," Rohde said. "The people involved in getting this facility ready hit the nail on the head.