HURON — Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide buttoned up her sparkling high school cross-country career with another state championship. 

The Wildcat senior captured the Class B girls cross-country title on Saturday at Broadland Creek Golf Course, covering the 5,000-meter distance in 18 minutes and :44.27 seconds. 

It was Boekelheide’s third state cross-country state championship, also winning in 2021 and ‘24. 

“This one definitely has more emotion attached to it since it is my last race,” Boekelheide said. “They’re all amazing, but this one I definitely wanted to go out with a bang.”

Boekelheide left no doubt in her final high school cross-country race, finishing 28 seconds ahead of second-place runner Nora Olsen of Deubrook Area (19:12.30). 

“I am senior so I have been doing this for a while,” Boekelheide said about the race. “So I kind of just trust my intuition as I am running. So I don’t have a super specific gameplan. So it went about how I imagined.”

Boekelheide also paced the Wildcats to a second-place finish. The Wildcats scored 21 points, just behind state champ Ipswich (18). 

Northwestern’s Tara Blachford (19:54.15) placed eighth for the Wildcats. Brenna Halverson (20:29.00) and Rachel Melius (20:58.41) placed 17th and 29th, respectively. 

“It means a lot,” Boekelheide said about the team finish. “I love those girls so much. It’s so fun just to be with them every day and push each other. It’s amazing to see them succeed.”

While it might have been Boekelheide’s final high school race, she will compete collegiately at South Dakota State University. She recently committed to the Jackrabbits, picking the team because of their team culture. 

“That was really important to me,” Boekelheide said. “I love just the blue collar feel of SDSU, just every day coming in and just betting on yourself and just being so committed to yourself in the sport. But overall just the team and I just love that SDSU provides that.”

She picked SDSU due to its similarities with Northwestern, a small school located in Mellette (population 200). 

“Northwestern is a small tight knit community, and I think SDSU is also very tight knit,” Boekelheide said. “I think those environments are very similar. So it will be an easier transition.”

In the short term, Boekelheide will continue to represent Northwestern this fall. A 5-foot-9 setter, Boekelheide and the Wildcat volleyball team is No. 2 in Class B. 

The Wildcats, a Class B powerhouse, have their sights set on another state tournament berth next month. Boekelheide, who also plays basketball and runs track and field, said it’s been a fun challenge to balance her two fall sports. 

But the three-time state champion wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“You have to be responsible, with having to practice in the morning and practice at night,” she said. “You really have to make sure you refuel and rest and recover well. So it's been interesting to figure out the balance between that, but I wouldn’t change it for the world and it’s so, so worth it.”