(Posted 6:14 p.m.)

Stevens freshman Tamara Gorman (left) and Central junior Tony Smoragiewicz (right) traveled to Sioux Falls this weekend to compete in the Nike Heartland Cross Country Regional Championships. Smoragiewicz won the title and Gorman finished fourth.

Both Rapid City runners qualify for Nike National Championships, Dec. 7, in Portland, Oregon

SIOUX FALLS–In the two weeks since winning the state cross country championship in the heat and humidity of Huron, Tony Smoragiewicz has barely taken a day off. He has had his eye on tougher competition, a bigger prize–the Nike Heartland Cross Country Regional Championship in Sioux Falls on Sunday. An elite group of over 200 runners from seven states (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin) registered to race. The top five qualifiers would win a trip to the Nike National Championships on December 7 in Portland, Oregon.

On Thursday, Tony’s father Jim told IDS, “Cross country courses are hard to gauge, because they are all different, but if you go on track times, Tony is certainly capable of being in the top ten or fifteen.”

Tony trained hard for two weeks, with his teammates from Central, with his cross-town rival and friend Riley Coates from Stevens, and with his triathlon partner, Stevens frshman sensation, Tamara Gorman. On Friday night, after his homework, Tony began to pay attention to his competition. He went online, compared his track times to others in the field, and sure enough…on a good day he had every reason to think he could finish in the top ten in a field where only the top five moved on.

So on a cold, windy Sunday afternoon, Smoragiewicz ran the 5K race of his life, and broke the tape with a winning time of 15:16.76; a full 27 seconds ahead of his winning time in the state championship.

“I like it when it’s colder.” He said after the race. “It was the best I have felt all year.” Minnesota state champion Adam Zutz came in seven seconds behind Smoragiewicz at 15:23. “With a thousand meters left, he was right on my shoulder.” Explained Smoragiewicz. “He tried a few times to make a move. He came up right next to me, but he never went ahead. Finally, at 500 meters I started my kick.”

Riley Coates crossed the finish line at 16:03, in 28th place.

Running on the women’s side, Tamara Gorman finished 4th with a time of 18:02.

Both Gorman and Smoragiewicz will compete in the Nike National Championships in Portland on December 7.