RAPID CITY — For much of the 2024 cross-country season, Freeman Academy/Marion’s Finley McConniel had a good look at the back of Silas Holdeman’s Mitchell Christian jersey. 

On Saturday, running in the Class B state cross-country meet, McConniel stayed within himself for the first half of the race. With 800-meters remaining McConniel pulled even with the defending Class B state champion. The pace quickened and as the duo hit the final stretch it was a dead sprint to the finish line where McConniel was declared champion in a photo finish. 

“It was so close at the finish line I had no idea who won,” McConniel said. “When it was finally confirmed that I won I thought to myself, ‘I finally did it, I finally won a championship.’ I was so proud and this is what I really wanted to do.” 

McConniel beat Holdeman at the Augie Twilight meet on Sept. 6, but since that race it has been all Holdeman. At the Howard meet on Oct. 7, McConniel was 39 seconds behind Holdeman. At the Region 3B meet on Oct. 16, the margin of victory for Holdeman was just six seconds. 

Freeman Academy/Marion's Finley McConniel, left, hugs Mitchell Christian's Silas Holdeman, right, after winning the Class B boys cross-country championship on Saturday at Hart Ranch in Rapid City. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

That region race gave McConniel confidence but he knew he would need to run his race if he had any chance to win. 

“I started out slowly and just kept building and building,” he said. “I don’t even remember where I made my move but I passed the Philip kid and just kept going.”

During the move to catch up, and the final surge to the finish, McConniel kept thinking that he could do what he set out to do. 

“I beat Silas at the Augie Twilight meet and I knew I needed to go back and dig deep and I really wanted it,” he said. “In prior weeks leading up to regions he kept beating me but in the back of my mind I knew this was my last high school race and I wanted to pull this one out.” 

Freeman Academy/Marion has a rich tradition in cross-country and distance running. McConniel has been following the sport at his school for years and said the guys that came before him set the foundation for this year's championship. 

“I couldn’t be there without them,” he said. “When I first started to run I had a stacked team with guys like Titus Roesler and Tavin and Thaniel Schroeder and I learned from them. They taught me how to work hard and they really helped me.” m