O’Gorman’s Libby Castelli earns win in 3200 at South Dakota state track and field meet

O’Gorman junior Libby Castelli was all smiles as she crossed the finish line in the 3200-meter final at the South Dakota state track and field meet on Friday.

After four years of competing in the race at the state meet, Castelli finally captured the state title that had eluded her, running a 10:45.12 time. She had always been in the mix over the years, but the field had always been a step or two ahead. This year, Castelli entered the race as one of the favorites.

“I was just really excited,” Castelli said. “Obviously a big win, my first 3200. (I’m) just really happy and excited to get the day started.”

The junior approached the two-mile race with a different strategy this year. She opted to hold back behind Spearfish's Peyton VanDeest, who led for the majority of the race, before making her move. Castelli and the rest of the competitors fought through cold and windy conditions. Her strategy allowed her to draft behind VanDeest before exploding ahead for the win.

“(VanDeest) kind of did a lot of the work for me,” Castelli said after the race. “This race was more tactical for me. (I was) just going for the win, not really for the time. (I have) a bigger race tonight so just sitting and then picking it up on that last lap.”

“Just so proud of her," O’Gorman track and field coach Aaron Strand said. "It was an awesome race, (and it) just panned out perfectly for her ... For her to be able to kind of sit there and then utilize their speed at the end of the race. It was fun to see what a way to kick off the day.”

Castelli, one of the state's great distance runners, won the cross country state championship this year and had previously won the 1600 state title last year. She’ll also be competing in the 800 on Friday and the 1600 on Saturday.

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at@JFERN31

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: O’Gorman’s Libby Castelli wins 3200 state title