Titans cross country set to build on strong 2025 season

The Tea Area Titans cross country program enters the 2026 season with a deep and experienced group of runners, a talented collection of younger athletes and plenty of motivation after a strong 2025 campaign.

Head coach Ryan Decker is entering his 15th year coaching cross country at Tea Area and his 20th year coaching track and field at the school. Decker is USATF Level 0, 1 and 2 certified, with Level 2 certification in youth coaching.

During his time leading the cross country program, Tea Area has captured one conference championship and produced 10 state medalists.

“I look forward to all of our meets,” Decker said. “The opportunity to see athletes have success and improve is one of the best aspects of being a part of the cross country team.”

The Titans are looking to build off a successful 2025 season that saw both teams compete at a high level.

The girls finished 10th as a team at the State Meet, led by a pair of state medalists. Jaycie Babb placed sixth individually, while Jayna VanLaecken finished 16th.

The boys finished 14th at the State Meet.

Both the boys and girls teams recorded a team victory during the season, while numerous runners established new personal bests. Fifteen Tea Area performances ranked among the school’s top 10 across all levels.

Tea Area will have some significant shoes to fill after graduating an impressive group of runners.

On the boys side, the Titans graduated Jack Campbell and Jacob DeYoung, both of whom were multiple-time state qualifiers. Campbell ranks second in school history in the 5K and holds the school records in the 4K and 3K. DeYoung ranks third in school history in the 4K.

The girls graduated six seniors: Jaycie Babb, Meredith Decker, Gracie Kramer, Kiley Pendergast, Brooklyn Reiners and Morgan Sehr.

Babb and Pendergast are continuing their running careers at the collegiate level, with Babb running at Augustana and Pendergast at the University of Sioux Falls.

Babb leaves behind an especially impressive legacy. She was a five-time state medalist, a two-time All-State and All-American performer and the school-record holder in the 5K. She also became the first Titan to qualify for the State Meet every year of her high school career.

“Each of these seniors were incredible leaders for us and will be greatly missed,” Decker said.

Despite the graduation losses, Decker sees plenty of reasons for optimism.

The Titan boys return a strong group led by nine seniors, while a talented group of underclassmen should provide additional depth and competition.

Among those expected to make an impact are seniors Reid Hammerquist, Kaden Christian, Jonah Klemisch, Noah Korver and Tate VanLaecken, along with underclassmen including Cooper Thompson, Reece Christian and Grant Curtis who will look to give the Titans a deep group that will be able to push each other. 

Thompson ranks seventh in school history in the 5K and is expected to be a leader at the varsity level. Christian enters his sophomore season ranked ninth in the 5K.

Curtis, also a sophomore, ranks fourth in school history in the 4K after a strong cross country and track season last year and will compete for a varsity position.

Hammerquist brings considerable experience to the group. The senior ranks sixth in school history in the 5K and is a four-time state qualifier. He was Tea’s top finisher at last year’s State Meet and served as a team captain.

Kaden Christian ranks fifth in the school’s 4K and brings significant big-race experience, while Klemisch ranks 10th in the 5K. Korver provides additional varsity depth after a strong track season last year.

VanLaecken, a three-time State Meet competitor and team captain last season, posted numerous personal records in both cross country and track last year.

The girls’ squad will be without any seniors this season, but Decker believes the Titans have a strong group of juniors and sophomores ready to take on expanded roles.

Leading the way is sophomore Jayna VanLaecken, the team’s lone returning state medalist. VanLaecken is a three-time state qualifier and ranks second in school history in the 5K after placing 16th at last year’s State Meet.

The junior class includes Grace Bialas, Logan Castle and Abby Hilleson, all multiple-time state qualifiers with times ranking among the best in school history.

Bialas is a three-time state qualifier and ranks fourth in the school 5K record book. She served as a team captain last season and will again provide leadership at the varsity level.

Castle is a two-time state qualifier and ranks sixth in school history in the 5K, while Hilleson is also a two-time state qualifier and ranks seventh.

Sophomore Taylor Boehnke and freshman Evelyn “Evie” DeGeest also bring state-level experience. Both battled injuries last season but responded with strong track seasons and productive summers.

DeGeest ranks third in school history in the 5K, while Boehnke has put together a strong summer in preparation for the 2026 campaign.

The Titans also have plenty of promising younger runners.

On the boys side, seventh-grader Caleb Jelen already ranks eighth in school history at the 3K distance and is expected to be a strong competitor at the middle school and junior varsity levels.

Seventh-grader Genevieve Decker is another younger runner expected to contribute, along with eighth-graders Carly Castle and Angelina “Angie” Dusa, who both had strong seasons last year and will be looked upon to provide leadership at the middle school and JV levels.

The program also welcomes an especially large group of new sixth-grade runners.

“We have an incredible group of new incoming runners this season, especially in our sixth grade group,” Decker said.

While the Titans have plenty of talent, Decker said continuing to build numbers throughout the program will be important.

“We continue to look to increase our numbers to add depth at each level that will allow us to be competitive at the State level and within the ESD Conference,” he said.

Tea Area will face strong competition throughout the season. On the girls side, Decker points to Harrisburg, Brandon Valley and Pierre as strong ESD opponents, while Spearfish and Lincoln will also provide challenging competition.

For the boys, Brandon Valley, Aberdeen and Harrisburg are among the teams expected to provide stiff competition.

Although Decker said he looks forward to every opportunity for his athletes to compete and improve, two meets stand out on the schedule.

The Titans will compete at the Augustana Twilight Meet on Sept. 4, an event Decker said the team always looks forward to because of its atmosphere and opportunity to post fast times.

Tea Area will also compete at Lennox, which serves as the Titans’ closest thing to a home meet.

“We traditionally run well there,” Decker said.

The Titans have already put in significant work ahead of the season.

Approximately 30 athletes regularly participated in summer team runs, collectively logging more than 5,000 miles over the summer.

That preparation has Decker optimistic about what the season can bring.

“My goal for the season is to provide the athletes with a positive experience in which they can improve personally and grow as an athlete and person,” he said.

From a competitive standpoint, Decker hopes both teams can finish in the top half of the conference and State.

“We want to continue to grow the program and represent our school and community well,” he said.

The 2026 Tea Area cross country season gets underway Thursday, Aug. 27, in Beresford at the Watchdog Cross Country Opener. The Titans will then travel to the Augustana Twilight Meet on Friday, Sept. 4 as the season continues.