SPORTS

Girls cross country: Stevens faces fight for title

Wade LaRoche

Rapid City Stevens will look to reclaim its team crown, but a wide variety of contenders could threaten the Raiders’ reign at the Class AA state girls cross country meet.

With a plethora of upperclassmen returning, the Raiders are the favorites to take home a second straight title. The reason for optimism comes with those upperclassmen, as Stevens won’t be intimidated by the atmosphere Saturday.

“We’re fortunate to return a lot of seniors to both of our teams,” said coach Jesse Coy. “Our leadership going into a big race like this is so good. That will take care of a lot of our nerves, and we’re kind of banking on that experience to carry us through.”

Obtaining back-to-back titles won’t be easy for Coy’s squad. The race to a title is wide open with Lincoln, Washington, Pierre and Metro Athletic Conference champion Brandon Valley all waiting in the wings.

“It’s good because there are other teams that are right there with us,” said Lincoln coach Eric Pooley of the unpredictable field. “We think we are one of the teams who can push Rapid City Stevens if we have all of our girls firing on all cylinders at the right time.”

Pooley and the Patriots are hoping to continue their ascension up the state’s ranks. Lincoln has gradually built itself up as a contender and could be poised for a sweep of both the boys and girls titles.

“We finished 15th at state four years ago, so the girls have seen gradual improvement,” Pooley said. “The girls have seen the boys do the same in those four years, and that’s really given them hope. They are motivated to share some of these accomplishments with the guys.”

The Pats will be led by Jasmyne Cooper and Katie Patrick. Cooper, who transferred from Harrisburg before the season, has hit her stride, while the Pats have rested Patrick in recent weeks to preserve the triathlete for a stellar state meet.

“Jasmyne has come on at the right time. She had to work through a stretch where she just had to get used to the way we do things,” said Pooley. “Once she did that, she took off. Katie Patrick is recovered now as well, so we really have a one-two punch that can set the pace.”

Cooper and Patrick figure to be in the mix within an unpredictable individual race. Savannah Woods of Yankton may be the favorite after finishing third a year ago, but Washington’s Kelsi Kearney is another name to watch after winning the Metro crown. Stevens also features Emily Person and Jamie Schweiss, each of whom placed in the top 10 last year.

“The girls race will be an interesting one,” said Coy. “You can’t count out Savanah Woods for sure, Kelsi Kearney and Jasmyne Cooper will also be up there. We hope to have a couple of girls up there as well. You never know what’s going to happen on race day.”

Garretson shoots for another Class A title

The Garretson Blue Dragons have to like their odds at a repeat Saturday with two central figures from last year’s team back in the fold.

The race will feature five of last year’s top six finishers, and Garretson has a pair of them in Carmen Bohl and Haley Sage. Bohl placed fifth last year, while Sage claimed sixth. Garretson’s reign on top could be in jeopardy with last year’s runner-up, Custer, and third-place finisher, Madison, each returning formidable teams.

The individual race will also feature a defending champion. Madisen Lavin of Vermillion was last year’s victor, but Nicolette Schmidt (Redfield-Doland) finished third last year, while Madison is led by last year’s fourth-place finisher, Cami Streff.

Ipswich looks to continue dominance

The last four Class B girls cross country meets have ended with the same result, and the Ipswich Tigers intend to make that five straight years.

The four-time defending champions could add another crown with a loaded roster returning for more. Ipswich features four returning placers from last year, including third-place finisher Macy Heinz and fifth-place finisher Taylor Loken.

The team in the Tigers’ way is Gayville-Volin, which took runner-up the previous two years. Gayville-Volin returns the top two finishers from last year in Laura Nelson and Genevieve Clark. Clark won the meet in 2012 and Nelson won in 2013.

Potter County could also be a threat after last season’s third-place finish. The Battlers are led by Hannah Flatt, who finished fourth last year.