09/21/2026
Weekly High School Program Spotlight – Central High School Cross Country - Coach Marshall Kambestad
A bit about you as a coach:
I grew up in Rapid City. I have been coaching at Central since 2020. I got into coaching because I had amazing coaches myself in high school with Forry Flaagan and Doc Michel. They gave me the gift of believing in myself. My dad was once the Central Cross Country coach so I'm fortunate to follow in his foot-steps.
Athletes to watch this season:
On the boys side, Eric Errea will be our senior leader. He ran the 2nd fastest 3200 in Cobbler history last spring with a 9:22. On the girls side, we have Adalynn Fischer, Izzy Fischer, Hadley Temple, and Macy Copeland, who all placed themselves on the top 10 list in school history last spring at Central in Track. Sheridan Madden will also look to join forces with that group.
What's different from last year's team:
We lost some awesome senior leaders from last year. People that we certainly miss not only from a performance standpoint but also from having them around our program. This summer we have had some kids really step up and hopefully that translates to a good team performance.
Team outlook for the upcoming season:
I feel that this will be one of our best teams at Central in many years, on both sides. However, what makes it tough is that there are a lot of good teams in the state. SF Lincoln and Washington should be top 20 teams in the country for the boys as well as Harrisburg and Stevens on the girls. We will just focus on what we do and see what will happen at the state meet. I think every coach will say that at minimum their goal is to get on the podium, but we are just looking to put together good habits to help us have a shot.
Who do you see as the top team headed into the season:
SF Lincoln & SF Washington in the boys. Harrisburg & Stevens in the girls.
What is your coaching emphasis this year:
We have a lot of kids who have developed over the years and it's something that we take pride in. On our girls' team, most of them started running once they got to high school which is rare at the AA level. We are fortunate to have some brave kids who are willing to put themselves out there. Running is a tough sport where you are very vulnerable. You are ranked and have a time by your name. That can be very intimidating. We try emphasizing that the end results do not make your self-worth. Many times, runners can tie their value to a time. We try to get ahead of that as much as possible and make sure they understand they're on a journey and a time does not define them as a person. It is a blessing to witness our runners' journeys in and out of the sport. I wish more people knew the path that many of these kids take to get on the starting line. They are brave and incredible people.
Last season's record or finish:
9th in the boys and 13th in the girls in AA.
Any seniors moving on to play at the next level:
Nothing official yet but later this winter we will have some of our seniors who will sign to run at the NCAA Division I and II level.
How can the community watch or follow your team?
We have a website, www.cobblerxc.com, as well as Instagram
Marshall Kambestad, Cross Country Coach, Central High School
