SIOUX FALLS — Ellie Maddox is gunning for her second state cross-country title.

The Sioux Falls Christian High School senior has had quite the start to her final season of high school cross-country, finishing in the top-5 in every single meet this season.

Maddox has also taken first place in four of the seven meets, including the Dak-XII Conference meet and the Region 2A meet at River Ridge Golf Course in Garretson.

“I’ve been really happy with it, it’s been a lot of fun,” Maddox said of her senior year. “Not having that pressure of a college decision, I’ve just been able to go out there and run and have fun. The team has been so much fun so I think that’s really made the season and I’ve been really happy with how my races have gone.”

Maddox has been a varsity-level runner for the Chargers each of the past five seasons. That experience is something she says has helped her along the way to compete at a high level.

“I could tell I’m a senior and that this is my fifth season cause I feel like I’ve run enough bad races to know how to run a good one,” Maddox says. “So I feel like I just really tried to lean into those things that I’ve learned and make sure I’m applying them throughout the season.”

Maddox hasn’t taken gold at the state cross-country meet since 2021 as an eighth grader, but did come just short last season when she finished second.

Coming into Saturday’s meet at Broadland Creek Golf Course in Huron, Maddox is still just as motivated to go out and compete one last time as a member of the Chargers.

“I’m still just as eager and determined as ever before,” Maddox said. “I think it’s more the fact that it’s my senior year and it’s technically my last time I’ll be in a Charger jersey.”

The SFC girls cross-country has built a dynasty as of late, winning each of the last three team titles at the state meet. Maddox says being around that type of success and culture has helped her become the runner she is today.

“I feel like that really attributes to coach (Luke) Vander Leest and all the coaches along the way that have really shaped us,” Maddox said. “Especially the girls, we wouldn’t be where we are without each other and I’ve been really proud that I’ve been able to be a contributor.

“I know I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for the older girls that have already graduated and the younger girls that keep pushing me so I feel like the fact we’re able to do it all together and really push each other has made the program what it’s been.”

And Maddox’s cross-country career won’t be done after Saturday’s state meet. Back in July, she announced her commitment to the University of Duke for both cross-country and track, a decision she ended up making a lot sooner than even she expected. 

“I went into it knowing that I wanted to run and I wanted to go somewhere where I could get a good education,” Maddox said. “I talked to a lot of different schools and my plan really wasn’t to have a decision until this October, but the opportunity came for me to visit Duke this summer and it checked all of my boxes. I Felt like this is my place and so I committed and it’s been really nice to have that decision made and really relieved a lot of pressure from this senior season.”

Maddox was unsure if she wanted to do both sports at the college level and it wasn’t until last year that she decided to do both at the college level.

“At the beginning of high school, I was like if I want to do it I’ll do it but if not, fine,” Maddox said. “If it’s still fun, I’ll want to do it and so I sat down with my parents junior year and I was like, I feel like I have a talent in it and it really just came down to if I have the love of it and if it’s still something I want to do for the next five years.”

But Maddox still has a long way to go before her college career, starting this Saturday at the state cross-country meet. Between her and her teammates, they don’t feel any extra pressure in their race to a fourth straight girls team state championship.”

“We’ve talked about that as a team too and how to handle it and I think just having peace knowing that we’ve put in the training since July and that we’ve trained for this and just having assurance in God and knowing that it’s his plan and that whatever is meant to be is what we’ll be. 

“Just trusting ourselves and knowing that we’ve worked really hard for this and we’ve already done all the work so now we just have to go out there and run.”