MCCONNIEL LEADS THE WAY IN BEARCATS’ FINALE
Marion senior medals twice; Preheim returns to podium; relays finish strong
Not only was it the end of an era for Freeman Academy/Marion’s top two runners — seniors Finley McConniel and Keaton Preheim — it was also the end of an era for a sports partnership of nine years.
Last week’s South Dakota State Track and Field Championships, held in Sioux Falls May 29, 30 and 31, was the final team events for the FAM Bearcats program, which was established in 2016 as a means of convenience for two schools looking for strength in numbers. And while it was largely viewed as a strong cooperative, Marion’s decision to seek better participation elsewhere ultimately led to Parker, and beginning in fall, the two schools will compete together as the Parker-Marion Pheasants.
Freeman Academy will attach to Freeman Public for at least the 2025-26 school year.
But for one last hurrah at Howard Wood Field over three days last week, the Bearcats’ maroon jersey trimmed in gold and white was not only in plain view, but a garment worn for award-winning performances.
The best showings came from team’s most decorated runner, Finley McConniel, the 2025 Class B cross-country champion who closed out his outstanding prep career last weekend with third place finishes in the 1600 and the 3200 — a repeat of last year. Not surprisingly given his disposition for finishing strong, both of his times were PRs.
Winning both those races was the runner McConniel edged for the state cross-country title last October — Mitchell Christian sophomore Silas Holdeman.
In the days following the meet, Suzanne Koerner, a longtime coach at Freeman Academy, talked not about McConniel’s performances, but about his character.
“He’s one of those rare athletes you’re lucky to get — maybe once in a coaching career,” said Koerner, whose future with track and cross-country programs is in the air because of the all-Freeman sports deal. “He combines natural talent with a relentless work ethic, true sportsmanship, and respect. He buys into the program and trusts the process.
“He does ask questions, but always in a respectful way,” she continued. “I gave him some flexibility with training based on how he was feeling, and he’s old enough and responsible enough to handle that. He’s also a strong student and has a deep desire to win. You just don’t find all of that in one kid very often.”
McConniel — who also earned a state track medal as a sophomore with an eighth place finish in the 3200 — went into last week’s state meet sitting fifth in the 1600 and fourth in the 3200 and used his best-ever clockings to pick up a few spots. His time of 4:31.93 in the mile was better than his previous PR of 4:35.34 while his 9:50.72 in the two-mile was significantly stronger than his incoming best of 10:07.34.
“I knew from cross-country that Silas was going to change something up or do something wild, and he did — he opened up with something like a 64,” McConniel said after the 3200, the first running event of Friday. “I knew he was going to start out fast so I stayed behind him and still managed to run a 68, which is extremely fast for a two-mile.”
He said his focuses was staying relaxed and cool and hanging back before making his move, “and that’s what I did. I knew there were a lot of top dogs and I just had to adapt.”
McConniel said he wishes he could have been closer in the final 200 to Holdeman and North Central’s Gabe Johnson, who finished runner-up, “but I was moving at 66. I just wish I would have made my move sooner and had a chance to get those guys.”
Holdeman finished with a 9:42.63 and Johnson a 9:48.96 to McConniel’s 9:50.72.
McConniel also said he was gunning for a state title in the 1600 the following day to match what he did in cross-country last fall, but it wasn’t meant to be, and he settled for his second third of the meet. (He actually appeared to be poised to finish second but for a late charge by Philip’s Baylor Burns, who edged McConniel for the runner-up spot by just 0.46 seconds.
“I was really hoping he could pull off a second,” said Koerner, “but he just got caught there at the end.”
And McConniel talked about his journey as a Bearcat runner.
“Four years ago, I would never believe where I would be at today,” he said. “It’s been a lot of hard work and growth in mindset, and I just want to thank my coaches for that — my teammates and everybody.”
Bearcat representation
As expected, the speedy Preheim also picked up an individual medal for Freeman Academy/Marion, finishing fifth in the 100 in a time of 11.22 — short of his second place showing and 11.02 clocking of a year ago, which a later season injury may have impacted. That may have also factored into his 10th place finish in the 200 prelim, a race in which he placed third as a junior last May.
But Preheim was a key factor in two relays that ran strong for the Bearcats — the sprint medley and the 4×200.
The medley relay team of Dominic Sperling, Preheim, Karter Weber and McConniel clocked a PR of 3:41.45 to lock up fifth while the 4×200 relay team of Sperling, Domani Butler, Weber and Preheim nabbed fourth — also in a PR.
“The 4×200 was definitely a highlight,” Koerner said. “Three of those four have been running together since sixth or seventh grade. I reminded them how many times they’ve passed the baton over the years. It was great to see them go out strong — and they set a Bearcat record in the end. That was big moment.”
Koerner also gave props to the medley team.
“They shaved several seconds off their time; honestly, I think they ran it as well as they possibly could have,” she said. “The level of competition right now is just incredible. That time might’ve won state three or four years ago, when it wasn’t anywhere near this fast.”
Two other top-eight places brought the Bearcats’ state meet medal count to a solid seven: Marion sophomore Domani Butler finished eighth in the 300 hurdles with a 42.46 (his time of 42.33 in the prelims was a PR) while the boys 4×800 relay team of Elshadai Mesfin, Justin Escobar, Butler and McConniel finished eighth in 8:38.70 — yet another PR.
All things considered, it was a nice finishing touch for a Bearcats program that will now be history.
“It’s been a great run,” Koerner said. “I was pretty shocked when I first heard it was officially ending; it took some time to process that.
“I’ve got a lot of Bearcat shirts now — and a lot of great memories to go with them.”
Also competing last week was:
Elshadai Mesfin in the 800: 16th, 2:05.44
Hunter Nankivel in the discus: 16th, 121-10
Emma McConniel in the javelin: 21st, 93-7
Avary Thomas in the shot put: 12th, 34-4
Karter Weber in the triple jump: 10th, 39-1 ½
The boys 4×100 team of Sperling, Rylen Tommerous, Escobar and Mesfin: 21st, 47.69
The boys 4×400 team of Sperling, Butler, Mesfin and Weber: 13th, 3:40.09
