SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Spearfish Spartans capped off another successful season with an impressive performance at the 2026 South Dakota State Track and Field Meet, highlighted by event victories, relay success, and numerous top-eight finishes against the best competition in South Dakota.
The Spartan girls led the way throughout the meet, showcasing the depth that made Spearfish one of the top programs in Class AA this season.
Junior Peyton VanDeest delivered one of the most impressive individual performances of the weekend, winning three state titles in the distance events. VanDeest captured first place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.21, won the 1,600-meter run in 4:49.82, and completed the distance sweep by taking first in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:17.40.
Senior Kori Keil also scored valuable points for the Spartans in the distance races, placing seventh in the 800 meters (2:17.43), seventh in the 1,600 meters (5:09.55), and sixth in the 3,200 meters (11:01.28).
Spearfish’s relay teams continued to be a strength throughout the season and once again delivered on the state’s biggest stage.
The Spartans won the 1,600-meter sprint medley relay in a personal-best time of 4:01.13. The championship quartet of Gabrielle Ranek, Adelyn Bouman, Daniela Rodriguez, and VanDeest combined for one of the fastest performances in school history.
The girls 4×800-meter relay also reached the podium, finishing third in a personal-best 9:27.45. Sierra Sandford, Lauryn Donovan, Auna Taglioli, and Keil teamed up to earn the top-three finish.
In the girls 4×400-meter relay, Spearfish placed fifth with a time of 4:04.58. Auna Taglioli, Marley Mosset, Sierra Sandford, and Daniela Rodriguez combined to score additional team points for the Spartans.
Rodriguez also delivered a strong individual performance in the 400-meter dash, earning a third-place finish in 58.42 seconds. Teammate Auna Taglioli added another top-eight finish, placing seventh in 1:00.80.
The field events provided more success for Spearfish.
Junior Reese Nida earned runner-up honors in the girls pole vault after clearing 12 feet, 3 inches, while fellow junior Laila Ratzsch finished fourth with a vault of 11-9. Together, the pair gave the Spartans a significant boost in the team standings.
Senior Adelyn Bouman contributed to the championship sprint medley relay, while Taylor Vitto secured a top-eight finish in the girls javelin, placing eighth with a throw of 117 feet, 5 inches.
On the boys side, senior Sam Marcus finished his Spartan career with a pair of top-eight performances. Marcus placed fourth in the javelin with a throw of 176-5 and added an eighth-place finish in the discus with a mark of 148-2.
From distance races and relays to field events and throws, Spearfish athletes consistently found themselves competing among the state’s best throughout the meet.
The combination of VanDeest’s distance sweep, relay success, podium finishes in the pole vault and 400-meter dash, and contributions across nearly every discipline helped cap another memorable state-meet performance for the Spartans and showcased the strength of the program heading into next season.