Lady Govs place fourth at state meet

The fourth-place finish was the continuation of the Lady Govs’ model of consistency at the top of the state’s hierarchy.

“When I heard Aspen Iverson running along the finish line screaming, I knew that we won a plaque,” Pierre cross-country head coach Keith Christensen said. “The girls had a lot of jubilation and that really sums it up for us. We were just there two years ago, so we’re consistent. We’re towards the top, and that means a lot to us.”

The Governors were unable to match the Lady Govs’ triumph, but they did gain some valuable experience. The young team finished ninth in the team standings with a 251. Sioux Falls Lincoln won the state title with a score of 32.

“You have to have experience, so Saturday’s race was important for the boys,” Christensen said. “Our boys beat the ESD champions, so we would have had a better place at the conference meet if we would have ran like this. We’ve definitely improved. I’m happy with ninth, but I’m disappointed that we only had one kid with a finish in less than 18 minutes.”

For the third consecutive year, junior Rachel Propst proved to be one of the state’s elite runners. Propst finished 10th with a time of 15:13.21. The race was won by Annie Kruse of Yankton with a time of 14:03.31.

“Rachel did an outstanding job. Our big thing with Rachel was getting her relaxed, and I think we accomplished that,” Christensen said. “She ran very well, and I think she’s happy with that finish. Rachel is right there with the top girls in the state.”

The Lady Govs’ seasoned veteran held her own, as did a couple of younger runners.

Sophomore Cortney Dowling just missed earning All-State status Saturday when she finished 26th with a time of 15:54.71. Seventh-grader Emily Mikkelsen was also on the brink of placing as she finished 28th with a time of 15:57.76.

“It was good for Emily and Cortney to nearly place,” Christensen said. “As other girls come up in the program, it should be their goal to place. Both of them will be back next year, and it’s always better for the team to get the plaque. Their finishes helped ensure that we’d get the plaque.”

The Lady Govs’ top-five runners were rounded out by a 29th-place finish by Hannah Shaffer (16:00.6) and a 38th-place finish by Iverson (16:17.56). The Lady Govs also saw Eryn Shlotte take 74th and Mariah Fuchs finish 85th.

The Lady Govs should be primed for another big run next season, as the entire cast from the 2013 team returns.

“Some other coaches who follow our program are wondering when somebody graduates. We’ve been a young program for quite a while, and the girls will continue to step it up,” Christensen said.

Like Propst, Jebben Keyes continued to be the anchor to his team Saturday. The sophomore placed 24th for the second consecutive year with a time of 17:21.95.

“Jebben had about 600 meters to go, and he was in 32nd place,” Christensen said. “He had reel kids back in, and he was able to do that. He had to do it that way, and he was confident in himself. He ran all summer and trained for that moment, so it’s great for him to take care of business as he normally does.”

The Governors also featured solid finishes from Porter Jones (49th place), Jack Wollman (52nd), Bennett Eisenbeisz (62nd) and Seth McKinley (65th). Pierre’s runners were rounded out by Micah Howard’s 92nd-place finish and Jamaal Covey’s 104-place finish.

The Governors will return much of their roster in 2014, and the strength of Pierre’s junior varsity team will also provide reason for optimism.

“I think the key to this is what the JV boys did in their last race, when they beat Brookings in a junior varsity race,” Christensen said. “We have a very deep program, and that’s the way it should be. The guys will have more depth next year, and they have experience now.”