VanDeest Siblings Won Black Hills Conference Titles
Peyton and Rylan VanDeest secured individual cross country conference championships in Rapid City.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Running
Peyton and Rylan VanDeest claimed individual titles at the Black Hills Conference cross country meet held at the Hart Ranch Camping Resort. Belle Fourche captured the girls team title, while the Spearfish boys secured their second consecutive conference crown.
Why it matters
The annual conference meet serves as a crucial benchmark for high school runners in the region as they prepare for the postseason. Achieving top individual and team performances here establishes momentum and confidence ahead of upcoming state championship qualifying races.
Peyton VanDeest led the girls with a time of 18:05, while Rylan VanDeest topped the boys field at 15:38. Belle Fourche secured the girls team victory by a six-point margin, edging out Spearfish.
The players
Peyton VanDeest
The student-athlete won the girls individual conference cross country title.
Rylan VanDeest
The student-athlete secured the boys individual conference cross country championship.
Belle Fourche
This school secured the girls team cross country championship at the conference meet.
Spearfish
This athletic program won its second consecutive boys team conference title.
The details
Runners navigated the course at Hart Ranch Camping Resort to determine individual and team conference rankings. While Peyton VanDeest took the girls title, Mikayla Dennis finished second; Wyatt Balliew finished second in the boys individual standings.
Timeline
The Black Hills Conference Cross Country Meet took place on October 8, 2026.
Season Trajectory
This conference meet marks a significant transition point as teams shift focus toward the remainder of the postseason schedule. Following this event, individual winners and top-performing teams solidify their positions as favorites for upcoming regional and state-level competitions.
The conference meet results provide the definitive seeding for upcoming championship meets within the region. Fans and analysts use these times to project individual performance trends and team depth for the postseason bracket.
The takeaway
Competitive conference meets allow young athletes to test their endurance against regional rivals before the pressure of state tournaments. Setting personal bests during these high-stakes races serves as the ultimate indicator of readiness for the final weeks of the season.
Further reading
For more news on local athletes, visit the Running section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KNBN NewsCenter1.
