SPEARFISH - St. Thomas More will pin its hopes on a return to the top of the state Class A girls track and field heap with strong numbers in the relays and hurdles during today's finals at O'Harra Stadium.

Sioux Valley leads Hill City by a scant 3½ points going into the final day at O'Harra Stadium in Rapid City.

Wagner is in third with 19 points, with Bennett County fourth at 16 points, one marker ahead of St. Thomas More in fifth.

More's Cavaliers, who won the Class A girls title in 2006 and 2007 and finished second to Vermillion last year, gained one individual title Friday when Alayna Ackerman broke away from a pack of runners to claim victory in the 800-meter run at sun-splashed Lyle Hare Stadium at the Black Hills State University campus.

"Everyone was getting boxed in, so (Clark/Willow Lake's Ashley Gruenwald) and I just decided to go around everyone and the last 200 we just kicked it in," said Ackerman, who clocked a 2:24.81 for the win.

Cavalier senior Erin Duffy looks to reclaim her past glory in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles qualifying for the finals with the top time in each event.

Gruenwald outpaced Stephanie Qualm, of Hill City, Alyson Johnson, of Beresford, and Jessica McDonald, of Hill City.

More's Caitlin Duffy placed fourth in the triple jump behind winner Amy O'Neill, of Bennett County.

Hill City's 4-by-800 relay team of Kala McDonald, Mariah Asheim, Qualm, and Jessica McDonald claimed the win after a tight early race with Sioux Falls Christian and Aberdeen Roncalli.

Chamberlain and Lead-Deadwood came on strong to finish second and third, respectively.

"About the 300 mark, I decided that I had to go a little faster, I slowed down a little bit, and then at about the 100 mark I kicked it in as hard as I could," said Hill City anchor runner Jessica McDonald.

"At the beginning, my sister Kala stayed out front most of the way and the rest of the girls kept it that way. It was a team effort," McDonald added.

Morgan Ude, of Belle Fourche, qualified fourth for today's 100-meter dash finals, with Custer and Hill City also showing some muscle in the sprints and relays.

Other individual champions crowned Friday included Kelsey Barrett, of Britton-Hecla (3,200 run), Sam Ostarello, of Stanley County (high jump), Amy O'Neill, of Bennett County (triple jump), Katie Schaefers, of Miller Area (discus), Jessica Koupal, of Wagner (pole vault) and Adrienne Waldner of, Sioux Valley (long jump).