Tea Area High School girls’ cross country team takes first Lennox Invite

The Titan Varsity girls begin the 5K race in Lennox.

Lennox hosted the last meet for the Titans before the ESD Conference Meet next Saturday in Huron. The meet featured 394 athletes from 16 teams. The Titans turned in a number of great performances, with many Titans recording new personal best times.

The Varsity boys race opened the meet and the Titans started strong. Junior Jack Campbell put himself in early position and used a strong middle run to secure fifth place in a time of 16:49.4. Sophomore Reid Hammerquist ran his first race after coming back from injury and impressed, running a season best 17:24.2 to earn 11th place. Sophomore Jonah Klemisch also just missed a PR, clocking a 17:37.6 to finish in 15th place. Sophomore Kaden Christian battled through some race adversity to grab 28th place in a time of 18:02.4. Sophomore Tate VanLaecken posted a big PR, recording a 18:25.5 for 34th place. Freshman Dawson Lowery also ran a new personal best time of 19:06.8 for 48th place. Sophomore Noah Korver claimed 51st place in a time of 19:14.1 with junior Jacob DeYoung right behind in 52nd place in a time of 19:18.0. The Varsity boys finished third in the team scoring. 

The Varsity girls competed next and built on the strong start. Junior Jaycie Babb led the Titans, earning fourth place in a time of 18:42.0. Seventh grader Evelyn DeGeest turned in her fastest time of the season, clocking a 19:06.6 (#2 School Rank) for eighth place. Eighth grader Jayna VanLaecken also posted a new best time of 19:10.9 for 12th. Freshman Grace Bialas grabbed 13th place in a time of 19:38.1. Freshman Logan Castle recorded a new personal best time of 21:03.3 (#8 School Rank) for 33rd place. Eighth grader Taylor Boehnke also ran a new PR time, clocking a 21:17.1 for 36th place. Freshman Abby Hilleson ran near a PR, earning 38th place in a time of 21:18.7. Junior Meredith Decker finished in 45th place in a time of 21:57.0 and fellow junior Brooklyn Reiners claimed 54th place in a season best time of 22:50. The Varsity girls won the team competition, marking their fourth consecutive team win. 

The JV boys were the next to race and all four Titans ran season bests. Sophomore Riley Clark led the Titans, running a new personal best time of 15:57.4 for 12th place. Sophomore Jaxon Johanneson also ran a new personal best time, clocking a 16:14.5 for 20th place. Freshman Zaiden Johnson finished in 46th place in a new personal best time of 17:49.4. Sophomore Malachi Kaiser claimed 56th in a season best 18:24.8. The JV boys finished 7th in the team competition. 

The JV girls raced next and once again all Titans ran season bests. Sophomore Erica Boterman led the Titans, earning sixth place in a personal best time of 17:34.9 (#10 School Rank). Freshman Daphne Decker claimed 17th place in a season best 18:16.7. Junior Kiley Pendergast grabbed 26th in a new PR time of 19:16.4, followed closely by 8th grader Natalie Hyronimus in 27th, with a new personal best time of 19:19.1. Junior Morgan Sehr earned 30th place in a personal best time of 19:33.5. Freshman Harper Heier claimed 41st place in a new PR time of 20:56.5. The JV girls finished fourth in the team scoring. 

The final race of the was the MS combined race and the Titans dominated the field with seven Titans in the top 25. For the MS Boys, eighth grader Grant Curtis led the charge. Curtis took an early race lead and never relinquished, winning his second race of the season in a new personal best time of 10:45.2 (#2 School Rank). Seventh grader Reed Cerny earned 4th place in a time of 11:11.6, with eighth grader Lucas Scott close behind in 7th place (new PR: 11:14.8-#6 School Rank). Seventh grader Caden Schuster grabbed 9th place in a season best 11:39.1, with sixth grader Jacob Klemisch right behind in 10th (11:39.9—new PR). Seventh grader Grant Woodis claimed 22nd place in a new PR time of 12:05.1, followed by fellow seventh  grader Phoenix Bak in 24th (new PR time: 12:16.7). 6th grader Micah Hyronimus earned 29th place (12:27.1) and eighth grader Ryker Kubik posted a season best 13:14.5 for 42nd place. seventh grader Jace Ullom finished 49th in a time of 13:32.6. For the MS girls, eighth grader Lola Underberg recorded her first career race win in convincing fashion (she placed in the top 25 of all runners—boys and girls!). Underberg’s winning time was a personal best 12:05.9 (#5 School Rank). Fellow eighth grader Gretchen Curtis also recorded a new personal best, running a 12:39.4 for 4th place. sixth grader Lela Kamps grabbed 20th place in a PR time of 13:36.6, with sister Ella Kamps next to finish in a season best 14:05.6 for 30th place. 8th grader Grace Chapman claimed 33rd place (14:10.2), with sixth grader Angelina Dusa right behind in 34th place (14:17.4). 6th grader Carly Castle earned 41st place (14:27.2), while fellow sixth grader Callie Hawthorne earned 47th (new PR—14:44.4). Sixth grader Michelle Tang claimed 54th in a new personal best time (15:09.7), with sixth grader Taytem Petrik right behind in 55th (15:13.9). 6th grader Alexis Knodel ran a new personal best time (17:34.2) for 62nd place. Sixth grader Avery Manning grabbed 65th place in a personal best 19:04.4. The MS team won the combined team title. 

On Saturday, Oct. 12 the Titans will competed in the ESD Conference Meet in Huron at 10 a.m. The 2024 State AA Meet will be held in Rapid City on Saturday, Oct. 26.