Mahpiya Luta’s Tahca Zephier, Custer’s Carter Cooper capture titles at Region 5A cross-country meet
Mahpiya Luta's Tahca Zephier nears the finish to win the girls' race during the Region 5A cross country meet on Thursday at Hart Ranch. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)
RAPID CITY — Mahpiya Luta’s Tahca Zephier and Custer’s Carter Cooper secured individual titles at Thursday’s Region 5A cross-country meet at Hart Ranch Camping Resort.
Zephier covered the 5,000-meter race in 19-minutes and :51.4 seconds, ahead of Rapid City Christian’s Taylor Harrelson (19:55.8) and Belle Fourche’s Rhys Pearson (20:03.1). Custer’s Mikayla Dennis (20:21) and Belle Fourche’s Aubyn Hartman took fourth and fifth place, respectively.
In the boys race, Cooper notched a time of 16-minutes and :12.2-seconds, ahead of Belle Fourche’s Lennon Clarkson (16:28) and Custer’s Peyton Krueger (17:01). Hill City’s John Titus Hill (17:10.4) and Custer’s Zachary Cooper (17:12.4) rounded out the top five individual runners.
Belle Fourche won the girls team title with 25 points, ahead of Hill City (46) and Custer (48). The Custer boys won the team title, well ahead of Belle Fourche (35) and Hill City (48).
Girls team scores: 1. Belle Fourche, 25; 2. Hill City, 46; 3. Custer, 48; 4. Rapid City Christian, 50; 5. Mahpiya Luta, 77; 6. Lead-Deadwood, 89; 7. Little Wound, 144.
Top-20 girls individual results: 1. Tahca Zephier, Mahpiya Luta, 19:51.4; 2. Taylor Harrelson, Rapid City Christian, 19:55.8; 3. Rhys Pearson, Belle Fourche, 20:03.1; 4. Mikayla Dennis, Custer, 20:21.0; 5. Aubyn Hartman, Belle Fourche, 20:21.1; 6. Sophia Satterfield, Rapid City Christian, 20:22.0; 7. Emma Wermers, St. Thomas More, 20:25.5; 8. Nora Moss, Hill City, 20:34.5; 9. Piper Curran, Belle Fourche, 20:37.8; 10. Isabela Torberson, Belle Fourche, 20:55.8; 11. Kiran Pesicka, Custer, 21:07.9; 12. Quinn Walker, Hill City, 21:09.9; 13. Savannah Hansen, Hill City, 21:11.3; 14. Amara Usera, St. Thomas More, 21:15.0; 15. Makenzi Ham, Custer, 21:19.2; 16. Layla Drieling, Belle Fourche, 21:19.3; 17. Aubree Morrison, Lead-Deadwood, 21:33.3; 18. Aspen Veneklasen, Hill City, 21:40.9; 19. Mila Heisinger, Lead-Deadwood, 21:50.5; 20. Hadley Walker, Hill City, 22:05.3.
Boys team scores: 1. 1. Custer, 16; 2. Belle Fourche, 35; 3. Hill City, 48; 4. Mahpiya Luta, 64; 5. Little Wound, 98; 6. Rapid City Christian, 111; 7. St. Thomas More, 113.
Top-20 boys individual results: 1. 1. Carter Cooper, Custer, 16:12.2; 2. Lennon Clarkson, Belle Fourche, 16:28.0; 3. Peyton Krueger, Custer, 17:01.0; 4. John Titus (J.T.) Isakson, Hill City, 17:10.4; 5. Zachary Cooper, Custer, 17:12.4; 6. Rylan Cuny, Mahpiya Luta, 17:12.5; 7. Adam Hohn, Custer, 17:20.7; 8. Jeremiah White, Hill City, 17:23.5; 9. Zane Gunnell, Custer, 18:01.1; 10. Jaxon Bach, Belle Fourche, 18:22.7; 11. Nathan Hudson, Belle Fourche, 18:26.2; 12. Thaddaeus McKenney, Belle Fourche, 18:34.0; 13. Easton Dooley, Custer, 18:42.8; 14. Clifford Torberson, Belle Fourche, 18:45.3; 15. Louis Kills Crow Indian, Little Wound, 18:48.7; 16. Soren Farrar, Hill City, 18:54.5; 17. Antoine Garnier, Mahpiya Luta, 18:58.2; 18. Hoksila Sharpfish, Mahpiya Luta, 19:06.1; 19. Keagan Gerlick, St. Thomas More, 19:09.6; 20. Rowdy Isakson, Hill City, 19:15.6.