By 605 Sports Staff

OACOMA — Mobridge-Pollock’s Heidi Olson and Pierce Baumberger captured individual titles at Thursday’s Region 4A cross-country meet. 

Olson won the girls 5,000-meter run in 19 minutes and :52 seconds at Chamberlain Country Club. Chamberlain’s Kinsey Evans (20:04) and Kimball/White Lake’s Autumn Baker (20:29) finished second and third, respectively. Chamberlain’s Allison Hough (21:07) and Kylah Biggins (21:12) rounded out the top-five runners. 

On the boys side, Baumberger covered the 5,000-meter distance in 17 minute and :44 seconds to earn the individual title. Miller’s Alex Schumacher (18:05) and Winner’s Joseph Laprath (18:37) were second and third, respectively. McLaughlin’s Jayden Taken Alive (18:37) and North Central’s Anthony Miller (18:44) rounded out the top-five finishers. 

The Chamberlain girls won the region title with 14 points. Kimball/White Lake (34) and Miller (65) also qualified for the state cross-country meet. The Miller boys won the region title with 22 points. Chamberlain (46) and Kimball/White Lake (73) also qualified for the state cross-country meet. 

Miller's Pierce Baumberger won Thursday's Region 4A cross-country title in Chamberlain. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Milbank boys, Clark/Willow Lake girls win Region 1A titles

WEBSTER — The Milbank boys and Clark/Willow Lake girls claimed team titles at Thursday’s Region 1A cross-country meet. 

The Milbank boys recorded 17 points, while Deuel (44) and Aberdeen Roncalli (53) also qualified for the state meet as teams. The Clark/Willow Lake girls logged 31 points, while Milbank (34) and Deuel (54) also qualified for the state meet as teams. 

Individually, Milbank’s Payton Brown covered the 5,000-meter distance in 17 minutes and :03.42 seconds at Webster Golf Course to earn individual honors. Tri-State’s Kaleb Foltz (17:25.31) and Deuel’s Ricky Berndt (17:47.14) placed second and third, respectively. Milbank’s James Batchelor (18:11.72) and Bryan Meyer (18:46.22) rounded out the top-five runners. 

On the girls side, Great Plains Lutheran’s Halle Bauer was the individual winner in 19:42.60. Deuel’s Jaycee Hourigan (20:32.96) and Clark/Willow Lake’s Kamryn Nesheim (20:39.85) placed second and third, respectively. Waubay/Summit’s Madison Zirbel (20:58.54) and Aberdeen Roncalli’s Addison Cassady (21:23.05) rounded out the top-five finishers. 

Sioux Falls Christian sweeps team titles at Region 2A meet

SALEM — Sioux Falls Christian swept the team titles at the Region 2A cross-country meet at the McCook Country Club on Thursday.

The Sioux Falls Christian boys finished with a team score of 10, ahead of West Central (58) and Flandreau (58). The Sioux Falls Christian girls recorded a score of 17, ahead of Sioux Valley (46) and West Central (50).

Individually, Sioux Falls Christian’s Bennett Wassenaar won the individual title with a time of 17:06.89, ahead of teammate Maksim Strizheus, who placed second with a time of 17:20.11. Sioux Falls Christian’s Levi VanderLeest placed third with a time of 17:21.40, while teammates Alex Oberloh (17:26.01) and Carson Engbers (17:26.15) rounded out the top-five runners.

On the girls side, Sioux Valley’s Isabelle Bloker won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:38.33. Sioux Falls Christian’s Natalie Smith (19:00.75) and Ellie Maddox (19:26.90) placed second and third, respectively. Flandreau’s Faith Wiese (19:36.77) and Sioux Falls Christian’s Jerica Glasser (19:39.27) rounded out the top-five finishers.

Vermillion teams sweep Region 3A meet

VERMILLION — Vermillion took both team titles at Thursday’s Region 3A cross-country meet. 

The Vermillion girls finished with 29 points, edging out Lennox (30) for the team title. Vermillion, Lennox and Dakota Valley qualified their teams for the state cross-country meet. 

The Vermillion boys won the team title with 36 points, finishing just ahead of Dakota Valley (39). Vermillion, Dakota Valley and Ethan/Parkston qualified their teams for the state meet. 

Individually, Ethan/Parkston’s Ella Pollreisz was the girls individual winner in 19 minutes and :20.14 seconds at the Bluffs Golf Course. Vermillion’s Taeli Barta (19:26.10) and Lennox’s Kelsey Schmidt (19:28.91) placed second and third, respectively. Dakota Valley’s Sophia Redler (19:38.29) and Vermillion’s Callie Radigan (19:47.02) rounded out the top-five runners. 

Beresford’s Andrew Atwood covered the 5,000-meter run in 16:24.92 to earn the boys individual title. Dakota Valley’s Jack Brown (16:30.14) and Elk Point-Jefferson’s Joe Cross (16:34.43) finished second and third, respectively. Ethan/Parkston’s Evan Bartelt (16:51.89) and Vermillion’s Henry Anderson (17:06.62) rounded out the top-five finishers. 

Ecoffey, Clarkson win Region 5A titles

RAPID CITY — Red Cloud’s Jade Ecoffey and Belle Fourche’s Sawyer Clarkson won Region 5A cross-country titles on Thursday.

Ecoffey won the girls 5,000-meter run in 20 minutes and :00.58 seconds at Hart Ranch Camping Resort. Red Cloud’s Ashlan Blount was just behind her teammates in second place, covering the distance in 20:00.73. 

Custer’s Ramsey Karim (20:09.88), Lakota Tech’s Taylor Byerley (20:26.78) and Lead-Deadwood’s Hallie Person (20:32.37) rounded out the top-five runners. 

On the boys side, Clarkson covered the 5,000-meter distance in 16:26.83, finishing ahead of teammate Lane Krautschun (16:57.22). Hill City’s Luke Rupert (17:03.79), Leighton Aves (17:20.76) and Custer’s Drew Lehman (17:38.17) rounded out the top-five finishers.