By Rich Winter

605 Sports

It has been a minute since the South Dakota cross-country community has thought about the Crazy Horse Chiefs. 

In 2022, when Devaughn Between Lodges qualified for the state cross-country meet, the Chiefs faithful brought in one of Crazy Horse’s all-time greats, Cornell Reddest to help with an honoring. In return the current Crazy Horse school honored the Class B boys state championship teams from 1983 and ‘84. 

In 1983, the Crazy Horse Chiefs were led to the Class B state title by Royal Bull Bear (third place), Cornell Reddest (seventh place), Gib Rogers (11th place) and Meltineo Bull Bear (15th place. 

In 1984, Crazy Horse repeated as Class B state champions but this time the Chiefs posted a perfect score of six points. Narcisse Red Kettle was the state champion that year, with Bull Bear finishing second and Reddest third.

In 1984 the Crazy Horse Chiefs had the top three finishers at the Class B state cross country meet - Newspaper clipping courtesy of Jason Bohl

While the 2023 Chiefs aren’t yet at the level of those early 1980’s teams they are starting to make some noise out west. Between Lodges won the individual title at last week’s Bennett County Invitational then followed that up with a fourth-place finish at Tuesday’s White River Prestige run. 

Last year, the Chiefs had five total runners out for cross-country. This year that number has swelled to 13 athletes. Crazy Horse Principal and boys basketball coach James Bagwell said the surge in cross-country interest comes from science teacher and cross-country coach Stephanie Joyner. 

This year, with runners like Between Lodges, Donnie Ghost Dog, Kaydo Hornbeck and Sinte Bear Killer, the Chiefs are hoping to qualify a team for the state meet. 

Cross-Country Week In Review: Ten topics of discussion.

• BreAna Aske, Jones County: Aske had a terrific track season last year as a seventh grader and is starting to put together some results in cross-country. Aske won the Bennett County Invitational last week then backed that up by winning the White River Prestige Run on Tuesday. 

• Clark/Willow Lake girls: The Clark/Willow Lake girls easily won Monday’s team title at the Webster Invitational. Eighth-grader Kamryn Nesheim won the race 19:59 but atNesheim’s teammates (Hadley Gjerde, Cadence Bochek, Emma Bochek, Alexa Schmidt and Danielle Batchelor) all finished in the top-20. 

• Brandon Valley girls: At Saturday’s Brandon Valley Invitational the Lynx girl scored 15 points to easily outdistance second-place West Central (56). The Lynx runners (Mia Wentzy, Sarah VanDeberg, Lilian Rude, Shelby Bergan, Emma Tidemann and Ellie Anders) swept the top-six spots at Saturday’s meet. 

• Libby Castelli and Peyton Van Deest: It was an interesting race at Saturday’s Nike Heartland Preview, in which O’Gorman’s Libby Castelli won the 5,000-meter race with a time of 17:31. Spearfish’s Peyton VanDeest, who is only a ninth grader and grew a bunch this summer, was in contention most of the race, finishing second with a time of 17:47. 

• O'Gorman's Libby Castelli won Saturday's Nike Heartland Preview meet with Spearfish Peyton VanDeest a close second - Photo courtesy of Amanda Carlow
  
  

• Milbank boys: While most of the Class A field is talking about Hill City and Sioux Falls Christian the Mlbank boys are putting together a very good season. The Bulldogs easily won Saturday’s Milbank Invitational scoring just 15 points. Payton Brown won the race 16:00, James Batchelor was third (16:32), Bryan Meyer was fifth (17:23) and Isaac Graham was sixth (17:36).

• Justin St. John, Crow Creek: Only a freshman, St. John finished 48th (18:55) at Saturday’s Nike Heartland Preview. He backed up that performance by winning Monday’s White River Presige Run (17:57). 

• Flandreau girls: Faith Wiese continues to lower her times this season and won Saturday’s Milbank Invitational (18:11). Kiley Westenberry, Diamond Roy and Josie Hamilton were all in the top-16 as the Fliers won the team title at that meet. 

• Sioux Falls Christian girls: The Charger girls won Saturday’s Nike Heartland Preview meet with 100 points, just ahead of Harrisburg (105). Pretty remarkable stuff from a team whose top two runners didn’t even run on Saturday. Eighth-grader Sadie Pettingill was the top Charger runner Saturday finishing in eighth place. 

• Big Dakota Conference/Chamberlain Invitational Thursday: One of the really big early-season meets of the season featuring 28 teams. Defending Class B champions Philip and Potter County will be in attendance. Sioux Valley’s Isabelle Bloker, the defending Class A state champion, will be in attendance.