Sioux Falls Christian's Sadie Pettengill wins Class A girls state cross-country championship

RAPID CITY – Sioux Falls Christian junior Sadie Pettengill needed to get over that third-place hump Saturday at the Class B girls’ state cross-country championships at Hart Ranch.

For two straight seasons Pettengill placed third in the individual competition. This season she won her first individual title as the Chargers captured their third straight team championship.

Pettengill won the 5,000-meter race Saturday in 17 minutes, 26.7 seconds, well ahead of Dakota Valley’s Alex McCullough.

“It definitely takes a lot of practice and the years I have spent just leading up to this moment,” she said. “The last couple of years I got third to two seniors – Ellie Maddox (of Sioux Falls Christian) and Faith Wiese (Flandreau), and they have been really good people for me to base myself off of. They just really helped me become who I am today, including all of my teammates, coaches and God. They have all helped me achieve this.”

The Class A girls and boys competition was the final races of the day at a breezy and much cooler Hart Ranch and the wind picked up for mid-afternoon races. Pettengill said she just had to gut it out.

“I had to go against the wind a lot and it was definitely tough going up those hills,” she said. “You really had to just push through it. I was happy with my time. I always think I could have done better, but that is with every race. You never really ever fulfill what you really want.”

Pettengill said she took control of the race in the second mile, although McCullough gave her a run for her money.

“I knew that Alex was behind me and we definitely work well together and I really enjoy having Alex close, she really helped me,” she said.

It was another state title for the Charger girls and head coach Luke Vander Leest said each team is a little different and this title squad came through despite some inexperience.

“Sadie was the only returner from last year’s state championship team so five of those girls were running jayvee for us last year,” he said. “So for them to step up it was really special. Sadie got third place two years in a row so I was really happy for her.”

Consistency and a good summer of training might have been the keys for Pettengill this season.

“I really have enjoyed this season,” she said. “I was more consistent this season compared to the last two. I really wanted to come off the track season because it didn’t go the best for me. I really wanted to train harder this past summer. The season has gone well for me because of that.”

The win was a confidence boost and will give her momentum for her senior season.

“I have the confidence that I can be up there with everybody else, I can do it,” she said. “Going up to that starting line I can have confidence and not let everybody else do it.”