By 
Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide closed out one of the most impressive prep cross-country careers in South Dakota history by winning her second straight girls Class B state championship on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Broadland Creek Country Club in Huron.
She finished the 5-kilometer course in 18:44.27, more than 25 seconds ahead of Nora Olsen of Deubrook, who took second in 19:12.30.
It was Boekelheide’s third state title overall. Her lowest finish in six state meets was when she placed sixth as a seventh-grader in 2020.
“I usually don’t think about past results at all, but recently this past week I did start thinking about my career and how much running means to me,” Boekelheide said. “I tried not to think about any pressure of this being my final race. I was just thinking about the bigger perspective of what running has meant to me.”
The senior said she didn’t want to start too fast, so she looked for somebody to run with while she got in a groove before pulling away.
She led the Wildcats to a second-place team finish, three points behind Ipswich.
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Northwestern’s Tara Blachford was eighth in 19:54.15, followed by Brenna Halvorson in 17th with a time of 20:29.00 and Rachel Melius in 29th at 20:58.41.
“I’m so proud of them,” Boekelheide said of her teammates. “The way we’ve worked and come together throughout the season has been amazing to watch, and it all came together today.”
She can now turn her full attention to volleyball as the Class B No. 2 Wildcats get ready for postseason play. Boekelheide is a setter.
“I’ve always loved running and it’s so close to my heart, but it’s awesome being around the girls on the volleyball team. We’ve put in a lot of work during practice and the season, and we’re excited for it to continue,” she said.
Madisyn Gellhaus, left, leads Ipswich runners Jayla Stiles, Isabella Galbraith and Kayla Oban during the Class B girls state cross-country met Saturday, Oct. 25 in Huron. Behind Oban is Northwestern’s Tara Blachford. Ipswich won the team championship. Aberdeen Insider photo by Kevin Foss.
Pack mentality powers Ipswich girls to Class B title
Ipswich had five runners in the top 16 places as the Tigers won their ninth girls Class B team title.
“We talked before the race about running at our pace and if someone happens to get by you, shake their hand and move on, but our girls ran our plan to a T today,” said Ipswich head coach Todd Thorson. “Maddy (Gellhaus) ran us out to the first 400 meters exactly where we wanted to be, and we knew we were running our race. They’ve really done that all year. They trust what we want them to do, and they’re disciplined to go out and execute. That’s what makes this group so good.”
Seventh-grader Isabella Galbraith led the charge with a fourth-place finish in 19:35.97.
“Bella is quite a closer. She just has that killer instinct and knows when to go for it, and that bodes really well for her for the next few years,” Thorson said.
Gellhaus, the lone senior on the team, placed 10th in 19:59.78.
Ipswich’s Isabella Galbraith pushes to the finish line during the girls Class B state cross-country meet Saturday, Oct. 25 in Huron. Galbraith finished fourth. Aberdeen Insider photo by Kevin Foss.
Seventh-graders Jayla Stiles and Kaylan Oban finished in fifth and 11th, respectively. Stiles crossed the line in 19:38.00, while Oban ran a 20:00.53. Eighth-grader Jennay Gisi finished in 20:26.22 for 16th place.
“What’s really crazy with that group is our seventh-graders didn’t run their first varsity race until the third race of the season, and Jennay only had a handful of (varsity) races. None of them had full seasons of running 5Ks,” Thorson said. “It just shows how willing they are to train and listen to how we want them to run. A lot of their success has to do with believing in the plan and what Maddy was able to do as far as leading them when they’re out on the course.”
Gellhaus held off Oban to finish in the top 10, but it wasn’t easy.
“That last 800, that’s when Bella got going, and I said, ‘OK, it’s time to go,'” Gellhaus said. “The last 400 meters, though, were really rough. My legs were giving out and I had blurry vision, but I knew I needed to finish. I just tried to keep pumping my legs, and I could hear everyone screaming for me to run hard and I got through it.”
Thorson said Gellhaus’ guile was important this season.
“Maddy was equipped to handle the leadership for this group, no question.” he said. “Today, she gave her all when her legs weren’t nearly 100%, and they gave out right after she crossed the finish line. It’s the best way to go out — knowing you left everything you had out there — and she did.”
Gellhaus said she’s excited to see what her young teammates can do in the years ahead.
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“If you had told me two years ago we’d be state champs, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s surreal. Watching our seventh- and eighth-graders do what they did this year is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what they’re able to do,” she said.
The Warner girls finished sixth in the team standings led by Katelyn Wirth in 22nd place in 20:34.74.
“In our region we got first, second, fourth and sixth in the standings with over 80 B schools that run,” Thorson said of the Region 1B schools. “Four teams out of our region finishing like that is unbelievable. Just to get out of the region you have to be pretty good.”
Deubook took third in the region meet and fourth at state.
In the Class B boys race, senior Gavin Hirsch of Herreid/Selby finished fifth in 16:53.88. Titus Kippley of Frederick placed 15th in 17:45.81. Two spots back was Korbin Stark of Faulkton in 17:51.47.
The North Central boys were seventh in the team standings as Drew Arbach led the squad, placing 21st in 17:57.65.
Silas Holderman of Mitchell Christian was the individual champ in 16:16.94. Philip claimed the team crown.
Aberdeen Central’s Carson Urlacher pushes to the finish line to take sixth place in the boys Class AA state cross-country meet in Huron. Central finished fourth in the team standings. Aberdeen Insider photo by Kevin Foss.
Urlacher finishes sixth for Golden Eagles as boys place fourth
Led by junior Carson Urlacher, the Aberdeen Central boys squad took fourth in the Class AA competition.
Urlacher finished in sixth place with a time of 15:42.00.
The Golden Eagles and Brandon Valley both finished with 124 team points — the combined total of the finish places of their first five runners. But the Lynx had a higher No. 6 runner to break the tie.
“We were ranked fourth coming into today and really hoped we could move up, but last time we raced Brandon Valley two weeks ago they kicked our butt. Today, we were very competitive with them, and that was good to see,” said Central head coach Greg Murley.
Urlacher has been strong all season, Murley said.
“It started last winter, really, when Carson played hockey and then went right into running track for us,” Murley said. “He’s passionate about what he does, and he’s very detailed about how he trains and works at getting better. He just does all the right things.”
Three other runners placed in the top 25 for the Central boys:
- 23. Esten Foss, 16:34.23.
- 24. Tate DeVries, 16:34.77.
- 25. Max Nelson 16:35.96.
“Those guys were racing, which is what you want to see. Matter of fact, Max out-kicked Spearfish’s (Mason Gill) at the line to get 25th. This group trained together every day and spent the summer getting ready for today. They get a plaque to take home and remember the things outside of the race that helped them get here,” Murley said.
Mikah Peters of Brandon Valley won the race in 14:54.09, and Sioux Falls Lincoln easily won the team title.
In the girls race, freshman Allie Novstrup was the top Aberdeen Central finisher in 19:41.10, good for 32nd. The Eagles were 14th as a team.
Brianna Reilly of Harrisburg won the race in 16:45.92, leading the Tigers to the team title.
Aberdeen Roncalli’s Addyson Cassady competes in the girls Class A state cross-country meet Saturday, Oct. 25 in Huron. She finished 19th. Aberdeen Insider photo by Kevin Foss.
Cassady leads Roncalli girls to eighth-place finish
Aberdeen Roncalli had a solid showing in the girls Class A state meet, placing eighth as a team. The win went to Sioux Falls Christian.
Aberdeen Roncalli’s Hazel Kannegieter finished 31st during the girls Class A state cross-country meet in Huron. Aberdeen Insider photo by Kevin Foss.
Sophomore Addyson Cassady led the Cavaliers, finishing in 19:40.86 to place 19th.
“Addy got right in with the group she needed to run with,” Roncalli coach Casey Steele said. “Sioux Falls Christian pulled everyone out pretty fast at the start, but Addy kept a good pace and, I thought, pushed pretty hard in that second mile.”
Steele said the Cavaliers were all business before the race.
“We talked an hour before the start, and the girls were all saying they were going to lay it all on the line and not hold anything back and they didn’t,” Steele said. “They just had that attitude of, ‘I don’t want to say I wish I could have done this.’ It was a deep, tough field of runners, but I’m proud of the way our girls went at them.”
Hazel Kannegieter (20:25.37), and Taylor McComsey (20:48.03) finished 31st and 45th, respectively.
“You know, what I really liked was the effort knowing if you let one person pass you near the end what the result could have been,” Steele said. “Each girl finished strong, which is what you hope to see.”
The Cavaliers finished ahead of Clark/Willow Lake, the team they placed second to in the Region 1A meet.
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“Clark’s kind of owned us this year in the races we’ve competed against each other in. If we pass one less person, we fall back. We were tied with Clark and it went to our fifth and sixth scorers for us to break the tie and get eighth. Lot of credit goes to Nora (Gonsor) and Bailey (Nold) for running as hard as they did. Harper Kline, also. She missed a couple days of school because she was sick, and for her to run as hard as she did was incredible,” Steele said.
Ellie Maddox of Sioux Falls Christian won the race, finishing in 17:32.60.
In the boys division, the individual title went to Tate Grabow of Hill City, who crossed the finish line in 15:42.86, while Sioux Falls Christian won the team championship.
Other local finishers
Class AA boys: 46. Kyson Fayant, Aberdeen Central, 17:08.33; 66. Eli Weinrich, Aberdeen Central, 17:34.18; 96. Ryder Davis, Aberdeen Central, 18:14.14.
Class AA girls: 63. Evie Novstrup, Aberdeen Central, 20:33.06; 75. Grace Preszler, Aberdeen Central, 20:59.90; 83. Allison Brenner, Aberdeen Central, 21:11.90; 89. Iris Ramey, Aberdeen Central, 21: 25.90; 95. Khloe Cochran, Aberdeen Central, 21:32.06; 118. Dannica Sheets, Aberdeen Central, 22:55.36.
Class A boys: 34. Jayden Schwan, Groton, 17:33.08; 100. Riley Schellenberger, Groton, 19:20.09; 110. Payton Moore, Redfield, 19:52.62; 116. Grady Wagner, Webster, 20:18.41.
Class A girls: 22. Ryelle Gilbert, Groton, 19:55.37; 45. Taylor McComsey, Aberdeen Roncalli, 20:48.03; 54. Kella Tracy, Groton, 20:56.35; 102. Harper Kline, Aberdeen Roncalli, 22:42.47; 114. Bailey Nold, Aberdeen Roncalli, 23:40.34; 116. Norah Gonsor, Aberdeen Roncalli, 23:59.41; Hannah Sonstebo of Webster and Aly Gruenwald of Redfield were disqualified.
Class B boys: 25. Ty Boekelheide, Northwestern, 18:06.21; 26. Jace Bender, Leola, 18:14.48; 33. Aaron Ingerson, North Central, 18:31.94; 34. Logan Niederbaumer, Faulkton, 18:32.39; 59. Noah Ingerson, North Central, 19:03.26; 60. Jason Arbach, North Central, 19:03.90; 65. Joseph Richards, Aberdeen Christian, 19:15.66; 70. Avery Wells, North Central, 19:26.31; 71. Carson Ewalt, Northwestern, 19:27.81; 84. Andrew Schwab, Aberdeen Christian, 19:46.84; 86. Jack Lewis, Northwestern, 19:54.88; 92. Tate Dosch, Frederick, 19:58.87; 96. Howard Sumption, Frederick, 20:12.56; 100. Aaron Kippley, Frederick, 20:31.05; 104. Will Helling, Northwestern, 20:51.04; 112. Jayden Ellwein, Frederick, 21:31.19.
Class B girls: 25. Austina Sorensen, Faulkton, 20:43.75; 29. Rachel Melius, Northwestern, 20:58.41; 34. Kyleigh Miller, Warner, 21:24.60; 49. Grace Roth, North Central, 21:58.61; 54. Elodie Wood, Warner, 22:18.74; 60. Hadleigh Hoggarth, Frederick, 22:37.91; 69. Mikaela Malsom, North Central, 22:46.49.
