Titans make impact at ESD Championship, setting personal bests and securing top finishes

The Tea Area High School cross country traveled to Huron on Saturday to compete in their first ESD Conference Championship Meet. The Titans showed they were ready for their new AA Conference by delivering several impressive performances among a competitive field, which included top athletes and teams from Class AA.

The Varsity girls set the tone for the day, placing four runners in the top 25. Junior Jaycie Babb led the team with a ninth place finish, clocking in at 18:59.6. Seventh-grader Evelyn DeGeest followed in 17th place with a time of 19:43.1, while freshman Grace Bialas secured 19th place, finishing at 19:52.3. Eighth-grader Jayna VanLaecken rounded out the top 25 with a time of 20:09.9. Additional efforts included eighth-grader Taylor Boehnke in 45th (21:33.0), freshman Logan Castle in 51st (21:45.2), and freshman Abby Hilleson close behind in 56th place (21:57.4). Junior Meredith Decker earned 58th place (22:15.1), while junior Brooklyn Reiners achieved a season-best 61st place (22:28.9). Overall, the Varsity girls secured fourth place in the team standings.

Next, the Varsity boys hit the course, with eight Titans representing the team. Junior Jack Campbell led the way, placing 26th with a time of 17:18.9, followed closely by sophomore Reid Hammerquist in 27th (17:24.8). Sophomore Jonah Klemisch came in 35th (17:52.1), and sophomore Kaden Christian placed 42nd (17:56.8). Sophomore Tate VanLaecken set a new personal best with a time of 18:26.8, earning 55th place. Freshman Dawson Lowery finished in 72nd place (19:21.3), just ahead of junior Jacob DeYoung in 73rd (19:31.7). Sophomore Noah Korver wrapped up the team effort, placing 77th with a time of 20:20.2. The Varsity boys finished eighth in the team standings.

The JV girls followed, with two Titans making their 5K debuts. Eighth-graders Gretchen Curtis and Lola Underberg led the team, with Curtis placing 6th (22:21.1) and Underberg right behind in 7th (22:31.9). Sophomore Erica Boterman claimed 16th place, setting a personal best of 23:42.1, while freshman Daphne Decker achieved a season-best 23:57.5 to place 20th. Junior Morgan Sehr posted a personal best of 25:56.3, earning 38th place, and eighth-grader Natalie Hyronimus placed 41st with a time of 26:20.9. The JV girls secured third place in the team standings.

The JV boys were up next, with two more Titans making their 5K debut. Seventh-grader Reed Cerny led the team, finishing 14th with a time of 19:34.7. Eighth-grader Reece Christian, in his first race of the season, placed 17th with a time of 19:37.5, while fellow eighth-grader Grant Curtis finished 22nd (19:57.2). Freshman Kadin Zolnowsky achieved a personal best, placing 50th (21:34.3), while sophomore Jaxon Johanneson posted a season-best 54th place (21:56.7). Sophomore Malachi Kaiser rounded out the group with a personal best time of 23:25.7, earning 63rd place. The JV boys finished seventh in the team standings.

In the penultimate race, the MS girls took on a 2900m course. Seventh-grader Taylor Davis led the team, placing 19th with a time of 11:55.9. Sixth-grader Lela Kamps secured 38th place (12:44.0), followed by fellow sixth-grader Angelina Dusa in 41st (12:49.4). Eighth-grader Ella Kamps earned 57th (13:25.3), while sixth-grader Carly Castle placed 60th (13:31.0), and eighth-grader Grace Chapman finished 68th (13:51.5). A group of sixth-graders closed out the race, with Callie Hawthorne finishing 70th (13:55.2), Michelle Tang 73rd (14:11.9), Taytem Petrik 86th (15:32.3), and Alexis Knodel in 91st (17:50.9). The MS girls finished eighth as a team.

The final race of the day featured the MS boys, also competing in the 2900m event. Sixth-grader Jacob Klemisch led the way for the Titans, finishing 32nd with a time of 11:03.9, with fellow sixth-grader Micah Hyronimus following closely.

The Titans will next compete on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Roger Loecker Meet in Huron. The varsity girls’ race will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity boys, JV girls, JV boys, middle school girls, and middle school boys. This will be the final meet before the State Meet, which will take place in Rapid City on Oct. 26.