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Creager Takes Running Talents To South Dakota State
Yankton’s Krista Creager, center, flanked by YHS track and field coach Luke Youmans (left) and cross country coach Dave Dannenbring, signed a national letter of intent to attend South Dakota State and participate in track and field and cross country for the Jackrabbits. (James D. Cimburek/P&D)
BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK
james.cimburek@yankton.net
Published: Thursday, February 5, 2009 12:20 AM CST
The South Dakota State women’s track and field team has done well in recruiting many of the top athlete’s from the state’s best distance program.
Add one more to that list.
Krista Creager, the lone senior on Yankton’s 2008 Class AA runner-up squad, signed a national letter of intent to attend SDSU and compete in track and field for the NCAA Division I Jackrabbits.
Creager, who verbally committed to SDSU earlier this year, will join former Gazelles Amanda (Kuchta) Frohling, Emily Smith and Ashley Storm, as well as former Yankton Buck Brad Anderson on the SDSU roster.
“I have some people I know up there, and that definitely helped me want to go there more,” Creager noted. “They were such great teammates when they were here. I know they will help me adjust to being a freshman up there.”
Creager finished ninth in this past season’s state cross country meet. As the team’s only senior, she took over the leadership of a young Yankton squad.
“She assumed that role because of her maturity and work ethic,” said Yankton cross country coach Dave Dannenbring. “Coach (Luke) Youmans and I advised her to be a leader by her actions, and she did that.”
This past spring, she won the 800-meter run and anchored the Gazelles’ state championship 1600-meter medley relay squad.
While Creager has provided a veteran presence for the Gazelles, she has also continued to work to make herself better, according to Youmans, who will begin his first season as head track and field coach later this year.
“She has been good about coming forward and saying, ‘What do I need to do to get better?’” he said. “She has been successful with her training, and that has been a big part of her success.”
Creager will focus on track — mainly the 800 — while at SDSU, but expects to compete in cross country “to stay in shape,” she noted. Youmans feels that the senior has the right makeup to excel at that difficult event.
“You have to have an element, not just athletic ability,” he said. “You also have to handle the challenges of participating in that event. You have to be able to go out on a daily basis and work hard then, when it comes time to compete, know when to turn the intensity up.”
Creager has had a good off-season in preparation for her final high school season, according to Dannenbring.
“She’s just had a great winter of training,” he said. “Running, in the pool, in the weight room.”
The senior credits her coaches — not only Dannenbring and Youmans, but former YHS coach Dan Fitzsimmons (now at the University of South Dakota) — and her teammates for continuing to push her in her training regimen.
Creager hopes to defend her state title in the 800 this season. Youmans also expects big things out of the senior.
“Coming back off a successful season, you don’t expect anything other than another good season,” he said. “I think she’ll find a lot of success this year, and next year at the post-secondary level.
“She will be successful for a lot more years.”
Creager plans to major in physical therapy at SDSU
Yankton’s Krista Creager, center, flanked by YHS track and field coach Luke Youmans (left) and cross country coach Dave Dannenbring, signed a national letter of intent to attend South Dakota State and participate in track and field and cross country for the Jackrabbits. (James D. Cimburek/P&D)BY JAMES D. CIMBUREK
james.cimburek@yankton.net
Published: Thursday, February 5, 2009 12:20 AM CST
The South Dakota State women’s track and field team has done well in recruiting many of the top athlete’s from the state’s best distance program.
Add one more to that list.
Krista Creager, the lone senior on Yankton’s 2008 Class AA runner-up squad, signed a national letter of intent to attend SDSU and compete in track and field for the NCAA Division I Jackrabbits.
Creager, who verbally committed to SDSU earlier this year, will join former Gazelles Amanda (Kuchta) Frohling, Emily Smith and Ashley Storm, as well as former Yankton Buck Brad Anderson on the SDSU roster.
“I have some people I know up there, and that definitely helped me want to go there more,” Creager noted. “They were such great teammates when they were here. I know they will help me adjust to being a freshman up there.”
Creager finished ninth in this past season’s state cross country meet. As the team’s only senior, she took over the leadership of a young Yankton squad.
“She assumed that role because of her maturity and work ethic,” said Yankton cross country coach Dave Dannenbring. “Coach (Luke) Youmans and I advised her to be a leader by her actions, and she did that.”
This past spring, she won the 800-meter run and anchored the Gazelles’ state championship 1600-meter medley relay squad.
While Creager has provided a veteran presence for the Gazelles, she has also continued to work to make herself better, according to Youmans, who will begin his first season as head track and field coach later this year.
“She has been good about coming forward and saying, ‘What do I need to do to get better?’” he said. “She has been successful with her training, and that has been a big part of her success.”
Creager will focus on track — mainly the 800 — while at SDSU, but expects to compete in cross country “to stay in shape,” she noted. Youmans feels that the senior has the right makeup to excel at that difficult event.
“You have to have an element, not just athletic ability,” he said. “You also have to handle the challenges of participating in that event. You have to be able to go out on a daily basis and work hard then, when it comes time to compete, know when to turn the intensity up.”
Creager has had a good off-season in preparation for her final high school season, according to Dannenbring.
“She’s just had a great winter of training,” he said. “Running, in the pool, in the weight room.”
The senior credits her coaches — not only Dannenbring and Youmans, but former YHS coach Dan Fitzsimmons (now at the University of South Dakota) — and her teammates for continuing to push her in her training regimen.
Creager hopes to defend her state title in the 800 this season. Youmans also expects big things out of the senior.
“Coming back off a successful season, you don’t expect anything other than another good season,” he said. “I think she’ll find a lot of success this year, and next year at the post-secondary level.
“She will be successful for a lot more years.”
Creager plans to major in physical therapy at SDSU
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