RAPID CITY - Even when the weather outside is frightful, being stuck inside is not exactly delightful.

The wet spring conditions this week have cancelled the majority of high school and college track and field, tennis and golf events, and forced most teams to get in some kind of workout indoors.

Sturgis boys tennis coach Shari Biers and the Scoopers have had to make the best of it in spite of having no indoor courts.

"The weather has been less than ideal, but we are making due," Biers said.

"We are spending time in the weight room, running in the gym and working on controlled, short hits," she said. "We have also worked on fine-tuning strokes for the forehand, backhand and serve."

Rapid City Central track and field coach Dave Dolan said outdoor workouts are much preferred, even if the conditions are a little iffy.

"Even if it's in the mid-40s, as long as the wind wasn't howling, we've gotten to the track," Dolan said.

"We got out on Tuesday and it was a little cold," Dolan said. "I just said we've got to get outside because I don't think we'll get there the rest of the week."

He was right. Pole vaulters have worked on lifts with a make-shift pit inside Naasz Gymnasium, and sprinters and hurdlers have honed skills in Central's long carpeted hallways.

"We have a pretty good advantage, because our school is perfect for running," said junior miler and high jumper Taylor Hill. "But it's always better at the track than it is running inside."

"We spent all day (Wednesday) working on starting blocks," said Dolan. "We kind of broke it up and worked on the little things to get better and faster."

But tweaking technique and running in spacious hallways still isn't enough to ward off a case of cabin fever for Central sprinter Rachel Nilles.

"I'm getting really sick of being inside," said Nilles. "Running outside I just feel like I can run so much faster because I don't feel so confined."

Over at Rapid City Stevens High School, Carold Heier Gymnasium was a beehive of activity Thursday, with Raider track and tennis teams all competing for space.

"When the whole track team is indoors, there's like 200 kids, and everybody's trying to work out in one area," said junior Kelly Herrmann. "It's really congested. You have to bargain and see who is going to get the floor, or a spot and for how long."

Herrmann throws shot and discus. She and the other Raider throwers have been able to work with indoor practice implements of roughly the same weight, but rubberized to limit damage.

"Throwing indoors isn't as good as throwing outdoors, because you can't really tell how far you're throwing," Herrmann said. "There isn't a ring, and the indoor shot put is a lot bigger. You can't really get your hand around it."

Stevens hurdler Caleb Allard is also ready to be outside again.

"It has been frustrating because our main workouts have been outside," he said. "It's pretty tough working inside because you can't get the full effect."

Inclement weather is nothing new for Lead-Deadwood golf coach Joan Rachetto and her Lady Golddiggers.

"We are putting on astro-turf, hitting wiffle balls, watching DVD's on golf instruction, and conditioning, all at the high school gym and patiently waiting for that sun to shine," Rachetto said.

Dolan is optimistic that conditions will improve for Saturday's scheduled Rapid City Track-o-Rama.

"The hard part is if we do have a meet on Saturday, we haven't been on a track and practiced our handoffs since last week. That's the scary part," he said.

Nilles has her order in for better conditions.

"I want it to be 70 degrees, because that's perfect running weather, 70 degrees and sunny," she said.