HURON — Mitchell Christian’s Silas Holdeman returned to the top of the Class B podium. 

The Golden Eagle junior claimed his second Class B boys cross-country championship on Saturday at the Broadland Creek Golf Course. Holdeman covered the 5,000-meter distance in 16 minutes and :16.94 seconds, winning his second state championship in three seasons. 

After winning the 2023 state championship, Holdeman placed second in 2024. But he reclaimed the state championship in 2025. 

At last season’s state meet, Holdeman (16:46.00) was clipped by Freeman Academy/Marion’s Finley McConniel (16:45.97) in a photo finish. 

“Last year was pretty awesome,” Holdeman said. “Three-hundredths of a second. It was really close. But it feels really great this year to take the win.”

There was no photo finish this season, as Holdeman finished nine seconds ahead of Philip’s Jack Peterson (16:27.57).

Holdeman said his goal wasn’t to jump ahead of the pack, but instead to save his energy and let another runner set the pace. The strategy worked in his favor. 

“Gavin Hirsch (of Herreid/Selby Area) took it out,” Holdeman said. “So I am just like ‘Oh, I will just go with him.’ I took the lead for the first 800 or something and then he just took it out and I just went with him, trying to draft behind him as a strategy.”

Holdeman took the lead and stretched his advantage coming down the home stretch.  

“It feels really awesome,” Holdeman added. “I will get a bunch of credit, but ultimately in the end I just want to keep giving all the glory to God.”

As a team, the Golden Eagles finished second with 16 points behind first-place Philip (12). Mitchell Christian’s Luke Mentele (16:46.34) placed fourth and Sawyer Holdeman (17:10.83) finished 11th. Luke Atnip (18:34.73) and Brady Asbenson (19:58.61) placed 35th and 90th, respectively. 

It was Mitchell Christian’s third straight season finishing second to the Scotties. 

“It feels really great this year to take the win and we were looking to get first this year as a team,” Holdeman said. “But there’s always next year.”