EUGENE — Tanner Lunders, Justin Juniel, Alex Otten and Simeon Birnbaum teamed up to win the 1600 Meter Sprint Medley Relay at the Nike Outdoor National meet in Eugene Oregon with a time of 3:25.12. 

That time was just off the Hayward Field meet record of 3:24.40 but did break the South Dakota state record of 3:27.24 by Sioux Falls Lincoln (Larson, Elliot, Tyler, Reinhart) from 1973. 

The Raiders ran without a hitch through the first 800 meters as Lunders, Juniel and Otten handed the baton to Birnbaum in third place, about twenty meters behind the lead team. 

Birnbaum caught up to the race leader and passed him about 400 meters into the anchor carry. Coming off the final turn it looked like Birnbaum might have some company at the finish but the Stevens junior turned on the jets and powered the Raiders to a national title. 

Today’s time of 3:25.12 is the fastest time in the nation this season. 

Birnbaum wraps up his junior season tomorrow when he competes in the 800-Meter run. 

The Rapid City Stevens boys that teamed up to win the Sprint Medley Relay at the South Dakota state championships in May - Photo courtesy of South Dakota Public Broadcasting.