RAPID CITY — As an eighth-grader, Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide burst onto the South Dakota running scene winning the Class B state cross-country title. In each of the last two years Boekelheide finished second behind Chester’s Emery Larson. 

On Saturday, Boekelheide regained her championship form winning the Class B race in 19 minutes and :52 seconds, over a minute ahead of second-place finisher Madisyn Gelhaus of Ipswich (20:13). 

“I have a deeper appreciation for the sport and that (finishing second) needed to happen,” Boekelheide said. “It definitely made me refind my love for running and realize what I was doing it for. It’s not just winning but it's my passion and I love to do it.” 

Boekelheide got out quickly with Kimball/White Lake runners Alli McCord and Lily Baker flanking her up the first sharp incline. As the runners turned with the wind now at her back Boekelheide floated away from the competition and was never challenged. 

“I ran on this course when I was in seventh-grade,” Boeklheide said. “My strategy was to go out really hard and I thought this would be a good place to test my fitness.” 

Boekelheide, a junior, won the Class B state cross-country title in 2021 (19:39). She said that the first state title was just surreal because she was so young and naive. 

“I have a deeper and more mature relationship with this sport now,” she said. “The two titles are very different but they are both really good.” 

Boekelheide is a multi-sport athlete in the fall and serves as the starting setter for the Class B No. 5 ranked Northwestern volleyball team. After Saturday’s state cross-country meet she’ll be getting ready for the last regular season volleyball match against North Central on Monday.

Boekelheide says she has a difficult balancing act to be good at two fall sports at the same time. 

“A lot of it is knowing myself and understanding that you can’t give 100% in everything all the time,” she said. “There has to be a little give. Like not going to a football game or just giving up different stuff. So that I can be successful on the playing field.”