SPEARFISH, S.D. — The Spearfish Spartans cross country teams wrapped up an impressive season with strong performances at the Class AA State Meet, showcasing the program’s continued rise among South Dakota’s best.
Girls Team: VanDeest Leads the Way
Junior Peyton VanDeest continued her dominant season with a runner-up finish, clocking a blazing 17:24.79 to take 2nd place overall. Her performance capped off another remarkable year, reaffirming her place among the state’s elite runners.
Sophomore Kori Keil also earned a top-ten finish, taking 7th place with a time of 18:29.94, giving Spearfish two runners inside the top ten — a rare and impressive feat.
The rest of the Spartan girls followed with solid efforts:
Sierra Sandford – 27th, 19:32.56
Bella Linn – 77th, 21:04.21
Maddy Campbell – 79th, 21:06.24
Lauryn Donovan – 93rd, 21:30.82
Together, the girls delivered a balanced team effort that reflects the depth and determination of the program.
Boys Team: Gill and VanDeest Lead in Top-30 Finishes
On the boys’ side, Mason Gill and Rylan VanDeest both secured top-30 finishes, showing the Spartans’ competitiveness in a deep Class AA field.
Gill finished 25th overall with a time of 16:36.03, while VanDeest was close behind in 29th at 16:42.25.
Rounding out the team, Carter Thompson placed 65th with a 17:33.09, and Kadin Gonzales finished 85th in 17:59.96, helping the Spartans close out the season with another strong collective showing.