By Matt Gade

605 Sports

SIOUX FALLS — Rapid City Stevens head coach Paul Hendry said you’d be hard-pressed to find two more competitive athletes than Ella Bradeen and Ava Holzwarth.

That’s been evident most of the season as the pair, who also run sprints and relays, have dominated the long jump most of the season.

That continued on Friday as Bradeen captured the Class AA girls’ long jump state title with a leap of 19 feet, 1.25 inches.

“It's exciting. I'm really happy. I really wanted to win this event,” Bradeen said. “I think me and Ava are both very humble, and we love to see each other succeed, and I think that's what you need. “I mean, we're looking for first and second, and it's just such a good connection that we have, and I'm really happy about it.”

Holzwarth, a junior and the defending Class AA state champion, finished second with a mark of 18 feet, 2.25 inches.

As competitive as Holzwarth is, Bradeen is the only other competitor she’d be happy to see win.

“I'm really happy for Ella, her senior year, going out with it, and the Raiders getting first and second is really good points for our team,” Holzwarth said.

Ava Holzwarth, of Rapid City Stevens, competes in the long jump on day two of the SDHSAA state track and field championships at Howard Wood in Sioux Falls. (Jon Akre / 605 Sports)

Coming into the state meet, Holzwarth holds the second-best all-time record in the event with a mark of 19 feet, 10.75 inches. 

In just her first year of competing in the long jump, Bradeen entered the meet with a personal best of 19 feet, 6 inches, which is fifth all-time in South Dakota history.

“I’m really excited about it,” Bradeen said of competing in the long jump for the first time this year. “It’s just really different than any other track event I’ve ever done.”

Competition between Holzwarth and Bradeen is nothing new, as the pair generally battle it out in both the 100- and 200-meter races.

“We're really close. I mean, we run all the same events and everything, hand off to each other in a relay. It's really great to have such good friends on this team,” Holzwarth said.

While Holzwarth is just a junior, she said she’s already looking to take back the gold next year. 

“I’m already motivated for it,” Holzwarth said of reclaiming the gold in the long jump.

Before next season, though, Holzwarth and Bradeen aren’t done yet. The pair are seeded 2-3 in the 100 meters on Saturday. Bradeen is fifth in the 200 and they are also a part of the Rapid City Stevens girls’ 4x100 meter relay team that has broken their own state record three times this season and are looking to defend their Class AA state title in the event.

On the team are Maya Khachikian in the first leg, Riley Willet in the second spot. Whereas Holzwarth runs the third leg, handing off to Bradeen in the anchor position, where she can usually be heard shouting for Bradeen. 

And despite posting a time of 47.16, beating Watertown’s second-place finish by more than one second, they’re not satisfied.

"We're not satisfied yet, we had a little bit of a sticky handoff and you always want one more with your team," Holzwarth said. "It'll be a bigger shout for her to keep going one more time for our 4x100 team." 

Ava Holzwarth, of Rapid City Stevens, hands off to her teammate Ella Bradeen in the girls 4x100 meter prelims on Thursday during the SDHSAA state track and field championships at Howard Wood in Sioux Falls. (Jon Akre / 605 Sports)