Birnbaum, Bainbridge connect for victories at South Dakota Champs
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If we're looking for any similarities from last year in order to make impressions about this fall, consider this: Simeon Birnbaum has now won four straight races, and in all of them he's improved by 46 seconds, 51 seconds, 64 seconds and 32 seconds.
On Saturday, Birnbaum won his second straight South Dakota Class AA title at Broadland Creek Golf Course, closing in relative ease as he won in 15:16.19, a full 54 seconds in front of second-place Cashton Johnson of Harrisburg High School.
Pierre's Jared Lutmer was third in 16:17.51.
Perhaps that's an indication of just where Birnbaum is: As a near of a lock to earn a national-qualifying berth to Team Nationals or Champs Sports.
The times suggest he will.
But perhaps deeper is a teenager full of confidence, ready to go, perhaps a bit motivated by those misses last year: Eighth at the Team Heartland Region and 16th at Eastbay Midwest.
PLACE ATHLETE TEAM RESULT POINTS
1 Simeon Birnbaum 12 Rapid City Stevens High School 15:16.19 1
2 Cashton Johnson 12 Harrisburg High School 16:10.48 2
3 Jared Lutmer 11 Pierre TF Riggs 16:17.51 3
4 Zach Fedde 12 Yankton High School 16:25.36 4
5 Grady Loos 11 Rapid City Stevens High School 16:28.61 5
6 Mikah Peters 9 Brandon Valley High School 16:40.55 6
7 Peyton Cast 11 Douglas High School 16:44.21 7
8 Chase Henderson 12 Sioux Falls Lincoln High School 16:45.25 8
9 Sean Kilpatrick 12 Rapid City Stevens High School 16:45.90 9
10 Deron Graf 12 Sturgis Brown High School 16:49.31 10
What's more, Birnbaum wasn't a solo artist. Rapid City Stevens won its second straight. boys team title and its 12th in program history, defeating Yankton by 20 points, 122-142. It was part of two victories on the day for the program, which also saw the girls win the Class AA title with 96 points.
According to DRG News, that's now a combined 29 championships for Rapid City Stevens across the program's tenure.
The girls Class AA race saw standout Ali Bainbridge of Sioux Falls Lincoln run away with it in the end, finishing in 17:26.09, which was her fifth win in six tries and her first state title in South Dakota.
She separated by 24 seconds from Bishop O'Gorman's Libby Castelli, who was second in 17;50.80. Rapid City Stevens' Brionna Holso was third in17:58.30.
Those three were the only girls under 18 minutes on the course.
PLACE ATHLETE TEAM RESULT POINTS
1 Ali Bainbridge 12 Sioux Falls Lincoln High School 17:26.09 1
2 Libby Castelli 10 Sioux Falls O'Gorman High School 17:50.80 2
3 Brionna Holso 12 Rapid City Stevens High School 17:58.20 3
4 Peyton VanDeest 8 Spearfish High School 18:18.09 4
5 Adison Scholten 9 Brandon Valley High School 18:24.52 5
6 Ruth Pardy 11 Sioux Falls O'Gorman High School 18:37.99 6
7 Gracie Uhre 11 Rapid City Stevens High School 19:08.89 7
8 Addalai Dekam 11 Sioux Falls Lincoln High School 19:23.69 8
9 Kira Ubence 9 Douglas High School 19:29.92 0
10 Sheridan Madden 8 Rapid City Central High School 19:30.99 9
The Scoop:
Page 2: Karrie Baloga and Adam Furman shine at the OCIAA Championships
Page 3: Californians put together strong performances at Mt. SAC
Page 4: Bethlehem Central girls win Albany County Championships
Page 5: Christian Brothers Academy was electric at Shore Conference
Page 6: IHSAA Cross Country Semi-State without a doubt was eye-catching