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Mitchell Christian's Silas Holdeman stuns field, wins Class B boys cross-country title
Mitchell Christian's Silas Holdeman won the Class B boys cross-country state championship on Saturday in Sioux Falls.
(Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Mitchell Christian's Silas Holdeman stuns field, wins Class B boys cross-country title

Oct 21, 2023
  

By Ryan Deal

605 Sports

SIOUX FALLS — Silas Holdeman couldn’t even believe it.

The Mitchell Christian High School freshman bested a loaded field of runners and earned the Class B state cross-country championship. Holdeman covered the 5,000-meter distance in 16 minutes and :13.61 seconds, holding off Philip’s Wakely Burns (16:22.45) and Freeman Academy/Marion’s Tavin Schroeder (16:28.94).

The race featured 15 of the top-25 runners from 2022 and 10 runners had clocked under 17 minutes during the regular season. Schroeder and Burns highlighted a host of hungry runners. 

Holdeman was also a top returner, finishing sixth in 2022. But Saturday’s unlikely finish even surprised him and left him almost speechless afterward. 

“I didn’t have very much confidence,” Holdeman said. “But at that last turn, I saw them starting to slow down. So I am like ‘I am just going to go,’ and I just went for it from there. I couldn’t believe that I did that.”


Holdeman was bunched together with Schroeder, Burns and Philip’s Asher Peterson for most of the race. Holdeman separated himself from the pack at the 800-meter mark and used a strong kick to cap it off. 

“At the 800-meter mark, I was behind Wakely there,” Holdeman said. “I felt good there and I just went on from there and I felt like kicking it in.”

Holdeman, however, still wasn’t sure what to make of the championship moment after all the runners crossed the finish line. 

“I didn’t know it would happen,” Holdeman said. “I thought they were going to get me at the end. I was scared.” 

Holdeman is the first-ever Mitchell Christian boys cross-country runner to win a state championship. But even that hadn’t set in for Holdeman as teammates and well finishers congratulated him after the race. 

“I don’t know,” Holdeman said. “Oh my goodness. I can't even think right now. It’s crazy. I will get a lot of reputation, but I always give it to the Lord.” 

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