Rapid City Stevens is back on top of the Class AA girls cross country scene for the first time in more than a decade despite a surprise at the front of the pack.
“It’s been a little while since we’ve done that,” Stevens head coach Jesse Coy said of the Raiders girls' first team title since 2002. “It was pretty cool today because a lot of girls stepped up and ran really, really well."
The surprise came when Yankton senior Annie Kruse blew past Stevens’ Tamara Gorman over the final 1,000 meters Saturday at Robbinsdale Park to win the Class AA girls individual title in a time of 14 minutes, 3.31 seconds.
Kruse was 21.5 seconds in front of Gorman, who was running in her first state meet since winning the event as a freshman in 2010. The win was the first for Kruse, an Augustana College commit who finished second last season to teammate Savannah Woods.
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Woods took third this season, followed by Stevens’ Emily Person and Rapid City Central’s Shacey Burgess and Hannah Hearn.
“It was a total team effort, which makes it a lot of fun," Coy said. "Emily Person had her best race ever and Tamara raced really well today, but hats off to Annie Kruse. She’s really good."
Kruse admitted that she did feel a little overlooked coming into the meet.
“I felt kind of discouraged,” Kruse said. “I felt like nobody thought I was going to be any competition, but I guess I came out here and I proved to everybody that I could do it.”
Person said the difficult training of the summer months was all worth it after winning a state title.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “All the summer miles and all the running really paid off today and I’m really proud … we all worked so hard together and it’s just amazing.”
In addition to Gorman's and Person’s top-four finishes, Stevens also put Jamie Schweiss (9th), Kendra Dykstra (20th), Jessica Bailey (23rd), Renae Dykstra (31st) and Felicia Roskam (50th) in the top 50.
Stevens scored 58 points to win and Central had 99 to take second. Following Burgess and Hearn for the Cobblers were Ava Parris in 11th place, Adeline Straatmeyer (18th) and Rachel Mayforth (59th). Raeanna Mayforth and Bailey Broderick also participated for the Cobblers and finished 79th and 88th, respectively.
The boys race was a rout in both the individual portion — Brookings’ Addison DeHaven repeated as individual champion in a time of 15:34.30 — and the team, as Sioux Falls Lincoln repeated as state champs with a score of 32 points to second-place Roosevelt’s 95.
Stevens, led by junior Mark Poston’s eighth-place finish, took third.
The Patriots’ depth was impressive as Will Lauer (2nd), Free Bump (3rd), Nathan Schroeder (4th), Dreux Selzler (11th), Gabe Peters (12th), Tyler Dobson (14th) and Anders Rasmussen (19th) all finished in the top 20.
DeHaven, the son of former Olympian and current South Dakota State track coach Rod DeHaven, said it was a bittersweet day.
“It’s just one of those days, I don’t know. I’m sad it’s over,” DeHaven said. “It’s pretty sad; it’s definitely bittersweet. Each year is bittersweet and nothing goes completely well, and this year’s no different. But it’s been a great ride and I’m content.”
Douglas senior Caleb Diggs took sixth place in a time of 16:43.95 to cross the line as the top West River finisher. Diggs finshed third at the Black Hills Conference meet earlier this month and said his disappointment in that effort helped drive him through the state meet.
“I feel really good about it,” Diggs said of his race. “I was not pleased (at the BHC meet) at all and that motivated me a lot. I’m definitely training through basketball season and I’m excited about track.”
Sturgis and Spearfish took eighth and 11th, respectively, in the girls’ team race with eighth-grader Allison Green pacing the Scoopers in eighth place and the Spartans’ Savannah Childers finishing 12th.