Mitchell Christian’s Silas Holdeman caps senior season with third Class B state cross-country title

RAPID CITY – Mitchell Christian senior Silas Holdeman went into Saturday’s Class B boys’ state cross-country meet at Hart Ranch with two individual titles in three years.

Make that three in four and it might just be his favorite as he was able to celebrate with his teammates as the Golden Eagles won their first-ever team title.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a while as a team,” he said. “It is pretty awesome that I could win it (team title) in my last season with my teammates.”

Holdeman cruised to his third individual title by winning the 5,000-meter race in 16 minutes, 7.7 seconds, 11 seconds ahead of teammate Luke Mentele.

“I felt good at the start and I felt good at the end,” he said.

Holdeman’s only non-win at state came on this course his sophomore season when he finished second behind Freeman’s Finley McConniel. He changed his race strategy a bit his final two seasons after coming up short in 2024.

Saturday he didn’t get took anxious at the beginning and eased into the lead.

“Two years ago I took it out (fast at the beginning) and it didn’t go too well,” he said. “I wanted to play this strategically, too. I just felt like I needed to go into it smooth and slow and start pushing the pace.”

Although his time wasn’t a personal best he was pleased with it and again went back to his teammates.

“It really was a team effort. Luke Mentele got second and Sawyer (Holdeman) did pretty good too (17th),” he said.

Despite the hills and a bit of wind, Holdeman thought it was a good course for him and his teammates to run.

“The way we have been training, it comes easier to run all of the time,” he said. “We have been putting in the miles, but just the feeling that we are a little higher in elevation, it would have been better if he had come here earlier to train. But it still was a really cool course, very spectator friendly.”

Mitchell Christian co-coach Julie Holdeman, Silas and Sawyer’s mother, said Silas has now won on all three state courses and Saturday was a great way to finish out his senior year.

“He’s just a great kid and he is so humble. He would have been happy either way,” Julie Holdeman said. “If he lost he would have been a great loser and he is a great winner. His athletic ability is good but getting there is what really counts.”

The Golden Eagles scored just 14 points in winning the B title, 22 points ahead of second-place Freeman.

“We’ve been chasing the boys’ team title and it was fun,” said Mitchell Christian co-coach Jill Nydam. “We always want our team to give 100 percent to glorify God in every race and in every practice. The title is a nice reward at the end, but in the end we are just proud of the guys because they are great sports and how hard they honor God.”

Holdeman now has his sights set track this spring as he has decided to forgo basketball to train for track. After this spring, he wants to run on college.

“I don’t know what college yet, I’m still trying to decide that, but I do want to run in college,” he said.