This off season for the East cross country team was headlined by a major movement and addition to the coaching staff . Previous co-head coach and East alumnus Benjamin Reimer was named the sole head coach after Dustin Horter was promoted to East assistant athletic director (AD). To fill the empty position on the coaching staff , East alumnus Flynn Prather was hired as an assistant coach.
Prather attended Lakota East from 2017 until he graduated in 2021. He was a member of the cross country team his sophomore through senior year, and also ran track his senior year.
After graduating from East, Prather attended Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, where he ran cross country and track for all four years that he attended. In his time competing at the college level, Prather became a two time All-American, and also set school records in both the 4×800 meter relay and the distance medley.
On July 3, 2025, Horter was named the assistant AD after the position became available. is allowed Reimer to take the sole head coach position. Subsequently, these movements left a hole in the coaching staff.
“Flynn and I knew each other only peripherally, but he reached out expressing his interest in coaching,” Reimer told Spark. “Fortunately, we had an opening and it was a no-brainer to bring him on. Without a doubt, hiring Flynn was the best decision we could have made.” Horter has echoed this message, and believes that Prather’s past experiences will help him be exactly what the current East runners need.
“It is great to have Flynn,” Horter told Spark. “He comes from a great family; he is just a stand up guy who I envision will work well with the kids. Having him be an alumnus as well, I find that very important because he can relate to our runners because he did everything they are doing now.”
In his short time back at East, Prather has been able to utilize both his knowledge and experience to work with all of the student athletes on the cross country team. He has worked to build up team chemistry, and create an environment that encourages every athlete to come in everyday with a working and positive mindset.
“My goal this year coaching is to get every kid to enjoy coming to practice and to improve in some way,” Prather told Spark. “I want to be able to help them grow in whatever area they are searching to grow in.”
Prather believes that a good coach will push their athletes as far as they want to go in order to reach their potential, but also be there to encourage them, and promote a positive and overall supportive environment.
“Flynn’s most noticeable impact is his ability to push the right buttons to improve our runners without putting too much pressure on them,” said Reimer. “He has worked closely with some of our very best runners and he helps them find the joy in running. Often, high-level athletes experience pressure to achieve and they forget why they love the sport. Having Flynn’s positivity around has reminded these athletes that our sport is supposed to be fun and that we often are at our best when we look forward to it every day.”
The girls team, which includes eight seniors, enter the season with high expectations and state tournament aspirations. The boys team enters the season hoping to turn some heads, and showcase their true talents and abilities.
“The girls team looks very strong,” said Prather.
Along with creating an encouraging and strengthening team culture, Prather brings a spark and sense of energy that has and will allow him to even better connect and push the runners at East according to Reimer.
“Flynn will be able to connect with, motivate, and provide a very positive experience for our athletes,” said Horter. “Athletically, he is still capable of running with some of our top athletes which will help their development. Knowing the program and the kids, although I only coached them for a short time, I believe they will be receptive to his advice, knowing his background and the way he carries himself.”
Since being back at East, Prather has not only been able to impact the current group of runners, but has also brought back a sense of self enjoyment while reminiscing about his time at East as a runner and student.
“It means everything to me,” said Prather. “I have loved the opportunity this far and take it very seriously. It’s been surreal to coach the team I ran for; in a way I have relived high school running.”
From culture setting and motivation, to willingness to work with each individual runner and find out what it is that makes them successful, Prather has left an encouraging mark on the team thus far, according to Reimer.
“With Flynn around, we are confident we can establish a high-achieving culture, where the kids look forward to coming into work everyday,” said Reimer. “With his expertise, compassion, and love for the sport, I am certain Flynn has a future as a head coach and I am honored to be a small part of his journey.”
Prather has already proven that he is willing to put in the dedication and effort needed to make an impact on the team. This homecoming is special to him, and he will strive to make each and every student athlete that he comes in contact with better than they were before.
