The Britton-Hecla multi-sport standout is giving track and field try his senior year after not competing in the sport since seventh grade.
"I just thought it was my last year, I could have fun," Goedert explained.
There is no questioning Goedert's athleticism. He was a standout on the gridiron and is still contemplating playing college football. He can dunk and shoot three-pointers with ease on a basketball court. He was once set five state records as a youth swimmer.
"He can just do pretty much anything," said Britton-Hecla track and field coach Dan Olson, who also coached Goedert in football. "It's fun to have a kid like that."
Last week, Goedert got his first taste at track and field again during an indoor meet at the Barnett Center. He placed in multiple events and nearly won the high jump.
"I did surprise myself," Goedert said. "I didn't think I'd get anywhere close to six foot in the high jump."
Goedert and Olson are still trying to decide just what events will work best and with an athlete like Goedert, the choices are many.
"You can just see all the potential everywhere," Olson said. "We haven't even got to some of the events that we'd like to see him do."
Goedert thinks his best events will be the jumps, but he is willing to try anything.
Does that include the pole vault?
"We don't have that in Britton," Goedert said.
If the Braves did offer it, Goedert would be up for it.
"I think that looks pretty fun," he said.
Time will tell just what Goedert can get accomplished after years away from the sport, but one thing is certain: his progress will likely be measurable, literally.
"I think I'll get better at all of my events," Goedert said. "I'm still learning how to do them."
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
By land or sea
Aberdeen Central senior Hannah Kastigar seems comfortable in the pool or on a track.
At the Speedo Champions Series in Waukesha, Wis., on March 7-10, Kastigar set five state records and one pool and meet record in the senior women's events.
Other members of the Aberdeen Swim Club at the champions meet were Danny Hodgin, Molly Hogg, Tucker Iwerks, Eden Orr and September Iwerks.
"Two relay swimmers, September Iwerks and Eden Orr, swam time trials at the meet and achieved personal best times," said ASC coach Elyce Kastigar, Hannah's mother.
Hannah Kastigar changed five state records in the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 400-yard individual medley, 500-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly. Her time of 2:00.66 in the 200-yard individual medley also established a meet record and a pool record.
"This was a very successful meet following our success at the state meet. We had six swimmers from our team compete at the meet. We came out of this meet with many personal best times, some overall state records, one pool record and one meet record," said Elyce Kastigar.
In addition to her records, Hannah also won the high point award for females with 118 points. The runnerup swimmer totaled 88 points. The Aberdeen Swim Club finished ninth in the women's team standings and 11th in the men's and women's combined team points.
"This is great for the number of teams and swimmers at the meet," said Elyce Kastigar. "We will begin our summer season on April 15."
Hannah Kastigar has committed to attend Grand Canyon (Phoenix, Ariz.) University, where her brother, Adam Kastigar, is a member of the men's swimming team. Hannah is the first Grand Canyon recruit with Olympic Trail experience.
"Hannah is an excellent swimmer whose best events are the individual medleys as well as backstroke and butterfly," Steve Schaffer GCU head swimming coach said in a release. "She will come to us with times that would place in the top-8 at the WAC conference championships in several events. Hannah's current times in the 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM are all faster than our current team records. She is an all-around super person and will be a great fit with our women's team. I look forward to seeing just how far she can go in the next several years as we prepare her for the 2016 Olympic Trials."
Hannah Kastigar is running distance events this spring for the Aberdeen Central track and field team.
Aberdeen Swim Club
Results Speedo Champions Series
Senior Women's 200-Yard Freestyle: 2, Hannah Kastigar, 1:51.30, overall state record.
Senior Women's 200-Yard Individual Medley: 1, Hannah Kastigar, 2:00.66, overall state record, Waukesha South pool record and meet record.
Senior Women's 400-Yard Individual Medley: 1, Hannah Kastigar, 4:14.39, overall state record.
Senior Women's 500-Yard Freestyle: 1, Hannah Kastigar, 4:55.51, overall state record.
Senior Women's 200-Yard Butterfly: 1, Hannah Kastigar, 1:59.72, overall state record.
Senior Women's 200-Yard Backstroke: 3, Hannah Kastigar, 2:01.12.
Senior Women's 50-Yard Freestyle: 2, Eden Orr, :25.71.
Senior Women's 100-Yard Freestyle: 2, Eden Orr, :56.47.
Senior Men's 200-Yard Backstroke: 3, Danny Hodgin, 1:55.30.
Sports writer Deb Smith
Spring schedules take a hit
The snow is still on the ground, which means the spring sports schedules are very much up in the air.
A variety of events scheduled for next week have already taken a hit.
A pair of area track and field meets have been canceled. The Britton-Hecla Early Bird and the Eureka Early Bird both were wiped out because the facilities will not be ready.
A golf invitational set for Huron on Tuesday was also altered. That meet will now take place on April 16. Aberdeen Roncalli and Aberdeen Central were among the teams scheduled to compete in that event.
Also, a triangular involving the Aberdeen Central tennis team has been moved. The Golden Eagles were scheduled to face Watertown and Sioux Falls Roosevelt in Watertown on April 4. Those duals will still take place, but the matches have been moved from Watertown to Sioux Falls.
"Last year at this time it was 80 degrees," said Roncalli girls' coach Kerry Brandenburger.
Needless to say, athletes and coaches alike are anxious for warmer weather as soon as possible.
"We really would like to get outside," Brandenburger said.
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
ESD changes basketball start times
The Eastern South Dakota Conference has changed its game times for basketball games beginning in the 2013-14 school year.
The varsity contests will begin at 7 p.m. starting next season. The full slate of game times will have the junior varsity and Freshman A at 4 p.m. followed by the sophomore and Freshman B at 5:30 p.m. The varsity contests for basketball will begin 30 minutes earlier than this season at 7 p.m.
The time between the junior varsity and sophomore games has been reduced.
Sports staff
Zacher inducted
Former Aberdeen Roncalli boys' basketball coach Francis Zacher of Eagle Butte was recently inducted into the South Dakota High School Coaches Hall of Shrine.
Zacher, who graduated from Eagle Butte and Northern State, had coaching stints at Fort Pierre, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte and Gettysburg before guiding Roncalli to its only state championship in 1975, when the Cavaliers won the State A tournament.
Zacher went 250-95 during a dozen years of coaching. He was inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009.
Staff reports