By 605 Sports Staff

SIOUX FALLS —O’Gorman senior Libby Castelli led a trio of South Dakota runners that finished in the top-10 of the championship race Sunday’s Nike Cross Regionals Heartland at Yankton Trail Park. 

Castelli covered the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes and :56 seconds to finish fifth, ahead of Harrisburg’s Brianna Reilly (sixth, 17:01) and Harrisburg’s Hannah Genrich (seventh, 17:04). 

Other top South Dakota finishers: 18. Peyton VanDeest, Spearfish, 17:45; 21. Sadie Pettengill, Sioux Falls Christian; 22. Faith Wiese, Flandreau, 17:51; 28. Jerica Glasser, Sioux Falls Christian, 17:56; Natalie Smith, Sioux Falls Christian, 18:05; 60. Autumn Gilhooly, Harrisburg, 18:22. 

The Harrisburg girls were the top South Dakota girls team finishing fifth with 215 points. 

The Sioux Falls Lincoln led the South Dakota boys runners. The Patriots, led by Joseph Levesque, Miles Lechtenberg and Tyrus Needles, all finishing in the top-50, scored 163 points, just behind winner Spring Hill, Kansas (153). 

Brandon Valley’s Mikah Peters was the top South Dakota finisher in the championship division. Peters covered the 5,000-meter course in 15 minutes and :18 seconds and a 33rd place finish, ahead of Levesque (38th, 15:21), Lechtenberg (41st, 15:24) and Needles (15:29).

Other top South Dakota finishers: 54. Tate Grabow, Hill City 15:30; 68. Aemil Nelsen, Sioux Falls Lincoln, 15:36; 74. Jack Brown, Dakota Valley, 15:38.