Upcoming Event: Men's Cross Country versus SDSU Classic on October 3, 2025 at 6:40 p.m.
/
6:40 p.m.
Men's Cross Country
vs SDSU Classic
South Dakota State University Athletics
Men's Cross Country
Bearss, Anna
Anna Bearss
- Title:
- Graduate Assistant
- Email:
- Anna.Bearss@sdstate.edu
Bearss entered her third year as a Graduate Assistant with the Jackrabbit cross country and track programs at the start of the 2020-21 academic year. She is responsible for coaching the women’s distance and middle-distance athletes and assists with coaching the men’s distance events.
Â
Under her guidance, the SDSU women’s cross country team won the 2020 Summit League Cross Country Championship, taking home the team title for the first time since 2008. This included a 1-4 sweep for the Jackrabbits by Leah Hansen, Ellie Friesen, Anna Donnay, and Cailee Peterson, respectively. Scoring runners were rounded out by another All-Conference performance from Jessica Christoffer (12th). This race earned Leah Hansen a spot at the NCAA Cross Country Championships as an individual, where she finished 120th. This is the only NCAA Cross Country Championships appearance by a female athlete from SDSU since the university’s transition to Division I.
Â
The delayed 2020 season built on the fall of 2019 where the Jackrabbits placed 3rd as a team at the Summit League Championships, and finished 16th at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships where Anna Donnay earned All-Region Honors with a 7th place individual finish, running 20:57.0 at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in Stillwater, OK. Â
Â
Bearss has also had coaching successes on the track. During the 2021 indoor season, three Lady Jackrabbits moved up, or earned their way onto the All-Time Top 10 List at SDSU (Mile: Friesen/4th/4:51.89, Peterson/6th/4:54.34 3k: Hansen/2nd/9:34.54, Friesen/5th/9:41.22, 5K: Hansen/2nd/16:32.35). To finish the indoor season, five middle-distance and distance women earned podium finishes at the Summit League Indoor Meet where Jackrabbits placed 2nd and 5th in the 800, and went 2-3 in the mile, as well as 2-3 in the 3k, and 2-3 in the 5k.
Â
During the 2020 indoor season, Bearss helped Oksana Johnson (Covey) to an indoor school record in the 800 of 2:08.33, a mark Johnson (then Covey) ran at the 2020 Iowa State Classic. The 2020 outdoor season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Â
Also during her time at SDSU, Bearss has worked with 2x NCAA Outdoor Finalist (’18, ’19) and school record holder (9:50.15) in the 3000m Steeplechase, Rachel King, as well as other NCAA West Preliminary Round qualifiers (W800: Oksana Covey, Krista Steele, Kendra Dykstra, M800: Cal Lawton, M1500: Kyle Burdick). While an assistant for the men’s team, the Jackrabbits have claimed consecutive Summit League team titles in cross country, and won the Summit League Indoor team title in 2019.
Â
Prior to joining the staff at South Dakota State, Bearss served 1.5 years as a volunteer distance coach at Indiana State University (2017-2018). During her time with the Sycamores, S. Brooke Moore (1500) was an NCAA East Preliminary round qualifier, and Taylor Austin (3000m Steeplechase) and David Timlin (1500) qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, OR. In 2018, the ISU men’s cross country team finished second at the Missouri Valley Championships, losing on a tiebreaker to Bradley University.
Â
As an athlete, Bearss competed briefly for the University of Tulsa where she was an All-Conference individual as part of the 2014 American Conference cross country championship team. A high school distance talent from the state of Indiana, her own running career was cut short due to chronic compartment syndrome.
Â
Bearss earned a bachelor’s degree at Indiana State University in political science and sociology. This complements a USTFCCCA Track and Field Technical certification.
Â
Currently, Bearss resides in Brookings. She has completed coursework towards a master’s degree in sociology where her studies have focused on sociology of sport, social psychology, and leadership development. Â
Â
Â
Under her guidance, the SDSU women’s cross country team won the 2020 Summit League Cross Country Championship, taking home the team title for the first time since 2008. This included a 1-4 sweep for the Jackrabbits by Leah Hansen, Ellie Friesen, Anna Donnay, and Cailee Peterson, respectively. Scoring runners were rounded out by another All-Conference performance from Jessica Christoffer (12th). This race earned Leah Hansen a spot at the NCAA Cross Country Championships as an individual, where she finished 120th. This is the only NCAA Cross Country Championships appearance by a female athlete from SDSU since the university’s transition to Division I.
Â
The delayed 2020 season built on the fall of 2019 where the Jackrabbits placed 3rd as a team at the Summit League Championships, and finished 16th at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships where Anna Donnay earned All-Region Honors with a 7th place individual finish, running 20:57.0 at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in Stillwater, OK. Â
Â
Bearss has also had coaching successes on the track. During the 2021 indoor season, three Lady Jackrabbits moved up, or earned their way onto the All-Time Top 10 List at SDSU (Mile: Friesen/4th/4:51.89, Peterson/6th/4:54.34 3k: Hansen/2nd/9:34.54, Friesen/5th/9:41.22, 5K: Hansen/2nd/16:32.35). To finish the indoor season, five middle-distance and distance women earned podium finishes at the Summit League Indoor Meet where Jackrabbits placed 2nd and 5th in the 800, and went 2-3 in the mile, as well as 2-3 in the 3k, and 2-3 in the 5k.
Â
During the 2020 indoor season, Bearss helped Oksana Johnson (Covey) to an indoor school record in the 800 of 2:08.33, a mark Johnson (then Covey) ran at the 2020 Iowa State Classic. The 2020 outdoor season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Â
Also during her time at SDSU, Bearss has worked with 2x NCAA Outdoor Finalist (’18, ’19) and school record holder (9:50.15) in the 3000m Steeplechase, Rachel King, as well as other NCAA West Preliminary Round qualifiers (W800: Oksana Covey, Krista Steele, Kendra Dykstra, M800: Cal Lawton, M1500: Kyle Burdick). While an assistant for the men’s team, the Jackrabbits have claimed consecutive Summit League team titles in cross country, and won the Summit League Indoor team title in 2019.
Â
Prior to joining the staff at South Dakota State, Bearss served 1.5 years as a volunteer distance coach at Indiana State University (2017-2018). During her time with the Sycamores, S. Brooke Moore (1500) was an NCAA East Preliminary round qualifier, and Taylor Austin (3000m Steeplechase) and David Timlin (1500) qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, OR. In 2018, the ISU men’s cross country team finished second at the Missouri Valley Championships, losing on a tiebreaker to Bradley University.
Â
As an athlete, Bearss competed briefly for the University of Tulsa where she was an All-Conference individual as part of the 2014 American Conference cross country championship team. A high school distance talent from the state of Indiana, her own running career was cut short due to chronic compartment syndrome.
Â
Bearss earned a bachelor’s degree at Indiana State University in political science and sociology. This complements a USTFCCCA Track and Field Technical certification.
Â
Currently, Bearss resides in Brookings. She has completed coursework towards a master’s degree in sociology where her studies have focused on sociology of sport, social psychology, and leadership development. Â
Â
Cross Country Weekly Update (09.23.2025)
Tuesday, September 23
Cross Country Weekly Update (09.16.25)
Tuesday, September 16
Cross Country Weekly Update (09.09.2025)
Tuesday, September 09
Cross Country Weekly Update (09.03.2025)
Wednesday, September 03
