Rapid City Journal Article by Jeff Budlong
Individual honors escaped the Sturgis girls cross country team, but that did not dampen the smiles of the Scoopers.
The team title is theirs.
The Scoopers placed three runners in the top 10 of the Greater Dakota Conference Meet at the Elks Golf Course on a rainy Friday to take the title over favorite Sioux Falls Roosevelt by nine points.
Freshman Kahlie Peterson and senior Madeleine Takahashi ran the entire course nearly stride-for-stride with one another, with Peterson finishing as the runner-up and Takahashi taking third.
“I was kind of aiming for fifth because Madeleine was going first or second so we could take first (as a team),” Peterson said. “Our team ran really well cause we have been working very hard this entire season.
“I am better at flat ground than hills so that helped and Madeleine talked to me throughout the entire race.”
Peterson finished in 15 minutes, 41 seconds and Takahashi crossed the line in 15:43.
“There was no let up today, but they did the best they could,” said Sturgis head coach Scott Peterson, who was named the GDC girls coach of the year.
Not to be outdone, eighth-grader Taylar Applegate took 10th for the Scoopers in 16:09.
While Sturgis packed up to get the team win, Rapid City Stevens freshman Tamara Gorman ran away from the field, winning the conference title by 43 seconds in 14:58.
“I was just hoping to win,” Gorman said. “This means a lot to me. I have learned to hold back the first mile, which I planned to do in this race.”
Rapid City Central saw its top four runners all finish in the top 20 to take fourth in the team race, led by Amy Brandt’s 12th-place showing.
“They all competed and they all got out there and got a good start,” Central head coach Loren Kambestad said. “Our kids have been packing, getting along, working together and they are solid individuals. They know what racing is about now and they are growing up because they are all ninth-graders except for one sophomore.”
The Spearfish girls finished in fifth as Savannah Childers gave West River its fourth finisher in the top six with a time of 15:47.
The Cobblers’ Tony Smoragiewicz claimed his first GDC title with ease, holding off Roosevelt’s Tanner Ahrendt by 18 seconds. Smoragiewicz took second a year ago, but was pleased with his effort of 15:44.
“I didn’t have a certain plan in particular, but I am really excited. It was fun to race Josh Heitkamp, but I am kind of glad he is gone so I can win some of these races,” Smoragiewicz said of the Sioux Falls Washington runner who beat him last year. “It is fun.”
The four Sioux Falls schools claimed the top four spots, with Roosevelt winning by 17 points over O’Gorman. Stevens was fifth, followed by Central and Sturgis.
The Raiders’ Riley Coates continued his late-season push with a fifth-place finish in 16:29.
“This is right where I wanted to be and I still have a couple of guys I need to catch,” Coates said. “Those guys beat me bad at Huron and I was right with them today, so I feel a lot better.”
Central’s Eric Sanders was the only other West River runner to finish in the top 10. He finished ninth.
Stevens, Central, Spearfish and Sturgis are back in action Thursday at the Rapid City Quadrangular at the Executive Golf Course.
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