RAPID CITY, S.D. — Peyton and Rylan VanDeest made the Black Hills Conference Cross Country Championships a family affair Thursday, with the Spearfish siblings winning both varsity races at Hart Ranch.
Peyton VanDeest, a senior, won the girls 5,000-meter race in 18 minutes, 5.8 seconds for her sixth consecutive conference title. Her brother Rylan, a sophomore, ran a personal-best 15:38.4 to claim his first conference crown and lead the Spartan boys to their second straight team championship.
Peyton VanDeest Closes Out Perfect Conference Career
Peyton VanDeest has never lost a Black Hills Conference race. She won her first title as a seventh grader in 2021 and has claimed every one since.
Thursday’s win was never in doubt. VanDeest finished 1 minute, 25.4 seconds ahead of the runner-up in a field of 48.
The University of Nebraska commit and reigning Gatorade South Dakota Girls Cross Country Player of the Year has now won twice at Hart Ranch in two weeks. She took the Rapid City Invitational title on the same course Sept. 24.
Eighth grader Taisley Tetrault and senior Auna Taglioli gave Spearfish three runners in the top 10. Tetrault placed ninth in a personal-best 20:05.8, exactly two minutes behind VanDeest. Taglioli followed in 10th with a season-best 20:19.3.
Junior Sophia Hatleli finished 23rd in 21:33.9 to complete the Spartans’ four scoring runners. Eighth grader Naomi Pfaff was one spot back in 24th at 21:39.3, and sophomore Trinity Hourigan placed 43rd in 23:58.3.
Spearfish totaled 34 points to finish second in the girls team standings, six points off the title. The Spartans had won the previous four conference championships. Their four scoring runners averaged 20:01.
Rylan VanDeest Leads Spartan Boys to Second Straight Title
Rylan VanDeest finished fifth at the conference meet as a freshman. One year later, he owns the title.
The sophomore crossed the line in 15:38.4, winning by 14.7 seconds in a field of 51. The time was a personal best and 15.5 seconds faster than he ran on the same course at the Rapid City Invitational two weeks earlier.
Junior Mason Gill joined him on the podium, placing third in a personal-best 15:58.2. Gill finished fourth at last year’s conference meet.
Junior Carter Thompson gave Spearfish three of the top eight finishers, taking eighth in a personal-best 16:30.8. Eighth grader Bastian Gonzales completed the scoring four with a 12th-place finish in 17:03.1, also a personal best.
Freshman Anthony Stevens placed 17th in a personal-best 17:20.1, and freshman Roman Jeffery was 22nd in 17:41.1. Five of the six Spartan boys ran personal bests.
Spearfish finished with 24 points and won the team title by 28 points. The Spartans’ four scoring runners averaged 16:18, with 1:24.7 separating the first and fourth scorers.
Spearfish returns to Hart Ranch on Oct. 24 for the South Dakota state cross country meet.
Spearfish Black Hills Conference Results
Girls
Place | Runner | Grade | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peyton VanDeest | Sr. | 18:05.8 |
9 | Taisley Tetrault | 8th | 20:05.8 |
10 | Auna Taglioli | Sr. | 20:19.3 |
23 | Sophia Hatleli | Jr. | 21:33.9 |
24 | Naomi Pfaff | 8th | 21:39.3 |
43 | Trinity Hourigan | So. | 23:58.3 |
Team: 2nd, 34 points
Boys
Place | Runner | Grade | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rylan VanDeest | So. | 15:38.4 |
3 | Mason Gill | Jr. | 15:58.2 |
8 | Carter Thompson | Jr. | 16:30.8 |
12 | Bastian Gonzales | 8th | 17:03.1 |
17 | Anthony Stevens | Fr. | 17:20.1 |
22 | Roman Jeffery | Fr. | 17:41.1 |
Team: 1st, 24 points