SIOUX FALLS, S.D.  — Sam Deutz set a Marshall cross country record in the 5,000-meter run on Friday night, breaking Yahya Iman’s mark that stood since 2003. Deutz’s performance helped the Marshall boys cross country team to a third-place finish in a stacked field of 45 teams at the Augustana Twilight meet. The Marshall girls team also placed 11th out of 39 teams in the prep division. 

Boys race

As a team, the Marshall boys team finished with 143 points, trailing only Sioux Falls Lincoln’s 72 and Bismack’s 94.

Having a top individual becomes even more important in larger elite meets and Marshall had one of those in Sam Deutz. His time of 15:14.99 edged past Yahya Iman’s previous school record of 15:16, holding for 21 years. Iman went on to become a state cross country champion. Deutz’s time also put him three seconds ahead of Bismarck’s Dawson Balzer and Sioux Falls Washington’s Cole Reilly.

Fremont’s Juan Gonzalez won the meet at 14:34.48 while Mikah Peters of Brandon Valley and Owen Hintz of Bismarck placed second and third at 15:06.27 and 15:06.81 respectively. 

Josh Leibfried finished as Marshall’s No. 2 runner, placing 21st out of 430 participants at 15:45.29. Keagen Anderson and Kohen Holcomb also finished neck and neck, clocking in at 15:55.50 and 15:56.91 to place 32nd and 33rd respectively, while Landon Marthaler rounded out the scorers in 62nd place at 16:17.68. Each of the four runners’ times was a personal best.

Lakeview also participated in the meet, placing 42nd with 1,168 points. Cole Remiger was the Lakers’ top runner on the day with a time of 17:34.68 to place 181st. Tate Remiger also placed 257th at 18:12.40 while Thane Matthys, Gideon Basel and Selby Anderson clocked in at 18:59.15, 20:11.12 and 20:57.61.

Girls race

The Marshall girls cross country team put together a strong pack in the middle of the field at the Augustana Twilight meet to place 11th out of 39 teams on Friday. 

Marshall finished with a team score of 398 points. Sioux Falls Christian won the meet with 69 points, followed by Harrisburg with 84 and Brandon Valley with 94.

Oakley Schneekloth put together a time of 19:25.33 in the meet, falling just eight seconds behind her personal-best time and earning a 48th-place finish in the field of 324 runners. Less than a second behind Schneekloth, Landrey Graven also crossed the line at 19:25.56 to place 50th and smash her personal-best time of 20:05.

Katelyn Leibfried, one of the veterans on the Tigers’ freshman-heavy roster, placed 62nd on the day after crossing the line at 19:37.84. 

Jasmine Murphy and Ayanna Flowers rounded out the Marshall scorers in 92nd and 214th with times of 20:24.70 and 22:11.50. Murphy is currently a seventh grader while Flowers is an eighth grader.

The Marshall girls and boys cross country teams will next compete on Thursday at Little Falls Golf Course at 4 p.m.