SIOUX FALLS, SD. — The Stevens Raiders capped an unforgettable weekend at the South Dakota State Track & Field Championships by claiming the Class AA Girls State Championship and placing fifth in the boy’s team standings at Howard Wood Field.

The Raider girls scored 111 points to outdistance runner-up Harrisburg, which finished with 98 points.

The weekend began Thursday with two runner-up relay finishes. The girls 1600-meter medley relay team of Sophia Guge, Bailey Holland, Taylor Steever, and Iris Birnbaum placed second in 4:11.56, while the girls 4×800-meter relay team of Brinna Sheldon, Liberty Lundin, Avery Dormann, and Evelyn Hurley also earned runner-up honors in 9:26.35.

Friday brought more hardware for the Raiders as Ella Bradeen captured the state title in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 1¼ inches. Teammate Ava Holzwarth added a runner-up finish at 18-2¼. Bradeen’s winning jump earned the prestigious All-Class Gold Medal, recognizing the best performance among all three classes in the event.

In the distance events, Evelyn Hurley broke the Stevens school record in the 800 meters while placing third in 2:11.78. Teammate Iris Birnbaum added a fourth-place finish with a personal-best time of 2:12.00.

The Raiders sealed the championship Saturday with several clutch performances.

Bradeen finally reached the top of the podium in the 100-meter dash after finishing runner-up the previous two seasons, winning the state title in 12.01. She also added a seventh-place finish in the 200 meters. Holzwarth joined her on the podium in the 100, placing third in 12.21.

Maya Khachikian delivered one of the meet’s most impressive performances, winning the 100-meter hurdles in a school-record 14.20. The mark ranks fourth all-time in South Dakota history and earned another All-Class Gold Medal for the Raiders. Teammate Sylvie Mortimer placed third in the event in 15.16.

The girls 4×200-meter relay team of Khachikian, Riley Willet, Sophia Guge, and Bailey Holland finished sixth in 1:44.67.

One of the highlights of the entire meet came in the girls 4×100-meter relay. The quartet of Khachikian, Willet, Holzwarth, and Bradeen completed an undefeated season by capturing the state title in 47.52. The team also earned the All-Class Gold Medal and set a new state meet record during Friday’s preliminary round with a blazing 47.16.

Hurley continued her outstanding weekend by placing third in the 1600-meter run in 4:58.85, while Clare Ashley earned fifth place in the javelin with a throw of 126-6.

Perhaps the most pivotal event in the team race came in the high jump. Freshman Ava Fessler cleared a personal-best 5-5 to finish third, while eighth-grader Nora Fisher added a fifth-place finish at 5-3. Those valuable points proved instrumental in helping the Raiders secure the state championship.

Throughout the three-day championship, the Raiders repeatedly responded to adversity with determination, toughness, and resilience. Whether chasing state titles, school records, personal bests, or crucial team points, Stevens athletes consistently rose to the occasion, making it a memorable weekend for the entire Raider community.