The Wessington Springs Spartans cross country team may have been small in numbers this fall, but they packed plenty of determination into every mile. Head coach Becky Krueger described the 2025 season as “a mixed bag of emotion,” marked by both new opportunities and unexpected setbacks, capped by two state-bound runners who gave it their all in Huron on Saturday.
Junior Alexis Roesler and senior Masynn Mebius represented the Spartans at the Class B State Cross Country Meet, finishing with times of 23:30.14 and 24:06.42, respectively.
“They ran faster than when we practiced up there earlier in the season,” Krueger said. “I know they were a little disappointed in their placing, but overall they ran as well as they could. We did all we could to prepare and entered some bigger races to get them ready for that atmosphere.”
Roesler and Mebius both earned their state berths by finishing among the top 20 at regions 14th and 15th place.
“When you look at all the regional times together, they finished about where they should have,” she said. “You always hope to maybe do just a little bit better, but they represented us well.”
The season wasn’t without challenges. The team lost standout runner Ella Kolousek due to a stress fracture.
“We thought she might just need a week off, but it wasn’t healing,” Krueger said. “She’s doing the right thing now with the boot and crutches.”
On the other hand, the team gained a new member when Ethan Heumiller joined after suffering a football concussion. “It was exciting to add a member, though unfortunate in how it happened,” Krueger said. “He even ran varsity at regions to get that experience.”
Another multi-sport athlete, Aunnika Heumiller, balanced volleyball and running this fall. “We worked with her schedule so she could get practice time in with the team and not have to do all her mileage alone,” said Krueger.
Despite the small roster, support for the Spartans was strong. “There were a lot of families that came up to Huron,” Krueger said. “It was also special that former runners like Bailey Yost and Abby Kolousek came back to cheer the girls on.” She noted that Huron’s shuttle service made parking and getting to the state course more convenient this year, though, true to cross country form, “Mother Nature was definitely not with us; it was windy and a lot cooler than expected.”
Looking ahead, Krueger hopes to see her returning runners healthy and ready for another strong season.
“Running isn’t anyone’s favorite thing to do,” she said with a laugh, “but we make the best of it. The kids worked hard, they had fun, and I was proud of what they accomplished. Now we’ll get rested up this winter and see what spring brings for track.”