By Rich Winter

605 Sports

With each of the defending individual state cross-country champions lost to graduation all three classes will crown first-time winners Saturday. The Class B and Class AA races in particular have no clear-cut favorite heightening the anticipation for Saturday’s state meet in Sioux Falls. 

The Class AA boys hit the Yankton Trail Park course first at noon CST, the Class B boys follow at 12:30 p.m. CST and the Class A boys at 1 p.m. CST. 

Class B boys: Tight race expected for individual champion

Hill City's Brandon Escalante closes hard at the 2022 Class A state cross-country meet. Escalante and his Hill City team are favored to win the Class A team race on Saturday.

Unlike the bigger classes the Class B boys don’t often get to race each other during the regular season. That unknown element always adds a little extra juice to the Class B race as the top contenders feel each other out for the first time this season. 

This year there is no clear-cut favorite but at least five athletes that could potentially win the race.

Freeman Academy/Marion senior Tavin Schroeder finished second in 2022 and he’ll be a top contender on Saturday. Mitchell Christian freshman Silas Holdeman was sixth a year ago and finished just behind Schroeder at the Region 3B meet. Northwestern’s Nathan Melius was the Region 1B champion. Seniors Wakely Burns (Philip) and Potter County’s Nicholas Schlachter both finished in the top-five a year and have tons of experience running at the state meet. 

Defending Class B champion Philip is sending a very talented and experienced group to the state meet. Tukker Boe, Baylor Burns, Wakely Burns, Trey Larson and Asher Peterson form a lethal group that should all make the individual podium making Philip a heavy favorite to repeat. 

Freeman Academy/Marion, led by Schroeder and Finley McConniel (eighth a year ago), will have the Bearcats in the hunt. Other teams to watch Saturday are Mitchell Christian and Highmore-Harrold. 

Class A boys: Hill City boys look ready to make some noise at state meet

After finishing second at the state meet a year ago the Hill City boys have been working for an entire year to take the next step. 

All season long Ranger senior Luke Rupert has been putting up impressive times and winning against elite competition. Third a year ago Rupert has Class A’s fastest 5,000 meter time (15:16) and enters the meet as the favorite to win. His biggest challenge will likely come from Dakota Valley senior Joe Cross who has the second fastest time (15:33) and is running his fastest times late in the season. 

Other top contenders: Miller’s Pierce Baumberger, Belle Fourche’s Lane Krautschun, Milbank’s Payton Brown, Sioux Falls Christian’s Levi VanderLeest, Dakota Valley’s Joe Cross, Tri-State’s Kaleb Foltz and Miller’s Alex Schumacher

At the Region 5A meet Hill City placed four runners (Luke Rupert, Leighton Aves, eginnTate Grabow and Brandon Escalante) in the top-six. Rupert, Aves and Grabow are all capable of finishing in the top-ten Saturday making the Rangers heavy favorites for the team title.

Sioux Falls Christian, Milbank, Dakota Valley and Miller have been solid all season and will factor in the Class A team race. 

Class AA boys: Wide open team and individual races for South Dakota’s biggest class

Pierre's Jared Lutmer is among the favorites to win the AA race at Saturday's state cross-country meet.

With Rapid City Stevens’ Simeon Birnbaum, who at the University of Oregon, dominating the last three state meets, a host of talented runners finally have a legit opportunity to win state titles. 

Pierre senior Jared Lutmer, third a year ago, enters Saturday’s race with the top time in the field (15:19). Brandon Valley sophomore Mikah Peters has a 15:29 best time this season and will be a handful for the next few seasons. Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Miles Lechtenberg, Rapid City Stevens’ Grady Loos and Yankton’s Dylan Payer are also athletes that could challenge for the top spot on the podium Saturday. 

Rapid City Stevens is the defending Class AA champion and the Raiders will be a team in contention on Saturday. Sioux Falls Lincoln, Sioux Falls Washington, Brookings and Aberdeen Central along with Brandon Valley are all teams that will be in the mix for high team finishes on Saturday.