Jacks' XC: Ranked Competition at Roy Griak

Saturday, September 29

Minneapolis, MN

11 a.m.

South Dakota State University

Roy Griak Invitational

Tickets

Photo by: Dennis Hubbard

9/27/2018 5:04:00 PM | Cross Country, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Nine regionally ranked teams, including nationally recognized host - Minnesota, plus four other Summit League schools headline Roy Griak competition for SDSU

MEET 3: South Dakota State (Men & Women) at the Roy Griak Invitational

When	Men's Gold (DI) 8k: 11:10 a.m. \| Women's Gold (DI) 6k: 12:15 p.m.
Where	Host: Minnesota \| City: Falcon Heights, Minn. \| Location: Les Bolstad G.C. \| Google Maps \| Spectator Info
Tune In	Live Results: FloTrack.org \| Stream Live ($): FloTrack.org \| Tickets: Minnesota Tickets
Teams Competing	Team Entries & Rankings (Page 4): South Dakota State Notes Four Summit League Schools: North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, Western Illinois
Notes	South Dakota State Notes \| Men's 8k Map \| Women's 6k Map \| Minnesota Meet Info Other Previews: FloTrack.org \| USTFCCCA
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| Instagram \| #GoJacks

The South Dakota State cross country teams travel to Minnesota for the 33rd annual Roy Griak Invitational this Saturday to compete against four other Summit League schools and nine regionally ranked teams - including nationally recognized host, Minnesota.

MEET INFORMATION
The Griak, one of the largest meets in the country, includes six collegiate races and four high school races. The National Anthem is set to commence at 9:25 a.m. with the Maroon (Division II & III) races to follow at 9:30 a.m. (women) and 10:20 a.m. (men).

The Jackrabbits will begin competition at the Les Bolstad Golf Course with the men's Merrill Fischbein Gold 8k race (Division I) at 11:10 a.m. There will be a few presentations starting at 11:35 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. before the women's Jack Johnson Gold 6k competition (Division I) gets underway at 12:15 p.m.

While the DI women are competing, the men will have an awards ceremony at 12:25 p.m. and the women will be honored at 1:15 p.m.

High school races will consume the course during the Saturday afternoon.

The Les Bolstad Golf Course provides rolling hills and grassy terrain throughout the entire course (Race Maps: Men's 8k | Women's 6k).

HOW TO WATCH
Spectator parking will be at S101 parking lot, which is on the corner of Cleveland and Commonwealth, and the Gortner Ave. Ramp. Shuttles will transport fans to the course. Ticket prices for the meet are $10 for adults and $8 for students, youth, and seniors (Click Here for Tickets).

There will be live results (Click Here) and a live stream (required membership, Click Here), both provided by FloTrack.org.

RANKED COMPETITION
The Jackrabbits will be facing off against numerous regionally ranked and Summit League competition for the second consecutive meet (See teams competing here, page 4). Highlighting the competition is host, Minnesota, who has received votes nationally on the men's side and are ranked 23rd in the nation on the women's side in the most recent polls provided by the USTFCCCA (Minnesota men are ranked third in the Midwest Region, women second).

There are also eight other regionally ranked schools represented, including two more from the Midwest region (Northern Iowa, South Dakota). The Jackrabbit men come into the race tied with Montana State for the fourth-highest regional ranking (South Dakota State: Midwest - Men: 12th/Women: --). At the Woody Greeno Invite, both the men and women beat regionally ranked Air Force (6th/8th) in the Mountain Region.

Regionally Ranked Competition (Region: Men/Women):

Cal Baptist (West: --/14th)
Duke - Men Only (Southeast: 13th)
Harvard (Northeast: 10th/10th)
Minnesota (Midwest: 3rd/2nd)
Montana State (Mountain: 12th/12th)
Navy - Men Only (Mid-Atlantic: 6th)
Northern Iowa (Midwest: --/9th)
Rice - Women Only (South: 10th)
South Dakota (Midwest: --/4th)

SUMMIT LEAGUE COMPETITION
There will also be four other Summit League schools represented at the Les Bolstad Course. The Jacks will get their first look at Western Illinois (preseason polled at sixth for the men and seventh for the women) while the seeing North Dakota and North Dakota State for the third time and South Dakota for the second time this year. The men's team has beaten all Summit League schools in the two prior races and the women has beaten North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha once this year (at the Woody Greeno Invite).

Summit League Schools Competing (League's Preseason Poll: Men/Women):

South Dakota State (1st/2nd)
North Dakota (4th/4th)
North Dakota State (2nd/3rd)
South Dakota (3rd/1st)
Western Illinois (6th/7th)

As the season unfolds, the league performance list is shaping up with Jackrabbits cracking the league's fastest marks of the season. Both the SDSU teams competed in their first championship distances (8k for the men, 6k for the women) at the Woody Greeno Invite.

Sophomore Gabe Peters, a Summit League Athlete of the Week honoree on Sept. 18 (for the Woody Greeno performance - eighth overall, PR mark of 25:12.9), is the fastest league performer in the 8k. He is one of five student-athletes representing the Blue and Yellow in the league's top 10 - including sophomore Micah Mather (fourth, 25:36.7) and redshirt freshman Michael Schwinghamer (fifth, 25:39.5) in the top five. Redshirt freshman Alexander Auch has the seventh-best mark in the league (25:54.1) and junior Lukas Nelson is ninth best (26:07.1).

For the women, senior Rachel King is the lone Jackrabbit represented in The Summit League's top 10 6k performances, sitting in fourth place (22:00.4) from her first race of the season at the Woody Greeno.

As for performances in the men's 6k and women's 4k, six total SDSU student-athletes are represented (four men, two women). The men's 6k list is from the top 10 finishers at the NDSU Bison Open (Aug. 31) with Mather at second-best (18:55.2), Peters at third (19:03.5), and freshmen Ben Olson and Joseph Minor-Williams in seventh (19:21.8) and ninth (19:24.7).

For the women, freshman Ellie Friesen has the second-best 4k mark in the league this season (14:20.8) and sophomore Anna Donnay has the eight-best mark (14:34.8).

PAST JACKRABBIT PERFORMANCES AT THE ROY GRIAK
The South Dakota State cross country teams have established the Roy Griak Invitational as one of the annual destinations for Jackrabbits to compete. The teams have competed in the Gold races (DI) since 2004 and have added three top-10 finishes on the men's side and one on the women's. Each team has won a Maroon (DII/DIII) competition at the historic meet - the men in 1996 (64 points) and the women in 1989 (62 points). The women have also had one event champion in 1999 - Jessie Kinschl (18:15, 5k).

Since competing in the Gold (DI) competition, the men have had a best team-finish of seventh (190 points) in 2012 and placed eighth twice (2017 - 242 points, 2015 - 257 points). The women have a best team-finish of 10th (254 points) in 2009 and placed 15th twice (2012 - 405 points, 2008 - 408 points).

Juniors Chase Cayo and Emily Donnay have the fastest marks 8k and 6k marks among active Jackrabbits at the meet, with both Cayo (best - 25:32.0 in 2017) and Donnay (best - 22:51.3 in 2015) competing there twice.

A Year Ago: 2017 Roy Griak
The 32nd Roy Griak Invitational in 2017 proved to be one of the toughest competitions last fall for the South Dakota State cross country teams. With a combination of nine nationally ranked opponents competing and the steamy weather conditions reaching the mid-80s with 70 percent humidity - making it feel like 98 degrees just walking around.

Despite the challenges of competition and undesirable weather, the both the men's and women's team had multiple personal-bests recorded at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn.

The men's team finished eighth (242 points) in a field of competition displaying nationally ranked No. 18 Colorado State, who won the meet (47), No. 25 Michigan State (second, 55) and No. 20 UCLA (third, 63).

Leading the Jacks was junior Chase Cayo, who placed 12th (25:32.0) in the field of 156 finishing runners. His mark was his new personal-best at the Roy Griak and the new benchmark for SDSU at the Griak, among active Jackrabbit runners.

Running close behind Cayo was senior Kyle Burdick, who finished 22nd (25:53.2) in his third appearance at the Griak. His mark was also his new best at the meet, besting his 2016 time of 26:29.4.

Rounding out the top 100 for SDSU was sophomore Gabe Peters (71st, 27:10.4) and junior Sam Ivanecky (88th, 27:34.3).

On the women's side, the team finished 14th (396 points) among competition such as nationally ranked No. 8 San Francisco (won, 22), No. 23 Iowa State (second, 72), No. 19 Minnesota (third, 85) and No. 20 Michigan State (fourth, 91).

Senior Rachel King appeared in her first meet of the season and paced the Jacks for 81st overall finish (23:30.9). The mark was her new personal-best at the Roy Griak, improving her 2016 time by 27.3 seconds (23:58.2).

Keeping pace behind King was senior Emily Berzonsky who placed 83rd (23:33.2) and also improved upon her 2016 Griak time of 24:00.9.

Rounding out the top 120 for Jackrabbit runners was sophomores Anna Donnay (86th, 23:35.8) and Cailee Peterson (103rd, 24:03.7).

Other women improving their Griak times were juniors Kendra Dykstra, who finished 138th (24:53.5), Krista Steele, 142nd (25:02.5), Emma Nelson, 161st (25:29.2) and Anna Fasen, 163rd (25:34.5).

JACKRABBITS PACING WITH PERSONAL-BEST MARKS
The Jackrabbits are off to a fast start in the first two meets of the season, notching 10 personal-best marks among eight Jackrabbits.

Several Jackrabbits have also started the season faster than where they did in year's prior: (Women (6k): King, Schell, Dykstra, Nelson, Schweiss; Men (8k): Ivanecky, Klawitter, Munsteman, Wilts).

Men's PRs:

So. Evan Fick - 8k PR, 6k PR
So. Micah Mather - 8k PR, 6k PR
So. Gabe Peters - 8k PR
R-Fr. Michael Schwinghamer - 8k PR
So. Jacob Wilts - 6k PR

Women's PRs:

So. Anna Donnay - 4k PR
Jr. Anna Fasen - 6k PR
Jr. Emma Nelson - 4k PR

MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKINGS
According to the USTFCCCA, the men are ranked for the third week in a row (fourth including preseason) and sitting at No. 12 for the second consecutive week. To begin the season, the men were ranked 11th in the preseason poll remained there until they dropped one spot to 12th during week two. Throughout the 2018 season, the Jackrabbits are the only Summit League school that's been ranked in the top 15.

In 2017, the men's squad ranked as high as eighth (preseason through week two) and finished the season 11th overall at the Midwest Regional race in Ames, Iowa. The highest-ever ranking, since becoming Division I in 2007, is sixth - with the last time being there in week five and six of the 2016 season and week five of the 2015 season. The team has been ranked in the top 15 for three consecutive years and counting (26 weeks; three years, five weeks - Week 6, 2014-Week 3, 2018). The 2014 season was a year where the Jacks fell in and out of the rankings - reaching as high as 10th and falling out three weeks (Week 2-3, week 5), but the team finished with the 14th spot. Prior to the 2014 season, the Jackrabbits had a streak from preseason 2010-week one of the 2014 season being ranked (30 weeks; four years, two weeks).

The women were ranked during the 2018 preseason rankings on Aug. 27 - sitting at No. 13 out of 15 teams ranked and one of three Summit League schools ranked (South Dakota - still No. 4 and North Dakota State who were ranked No. 14). In the first regular season rankings, the Jackrabbits fell out of the top 15 but the No.13 ranking in the region is the highest-ever for the women's team (edged out the 2014 preseason ranking - No. 14). They have never been ranked for consecutive weeks but has been ranked in the preseason listings for the third consecutive year and fourth time out of five years.

SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The Summit League released the cross country preseason polls on Aug. 20 and SDSU's men were tabbed as the favorites entering the 2018 season, while the women were runner-up. The men tallied 36 preseason points with six-of-the-seven first-place votes while the women scored 41 points (seven points behind the favorite, South Dakota) and notched one-of-the eight first-place votes.

For the ninth time since 2010 (every year except 2016 - polled as runner-up), the men's team was nominated as the favorite in The Summit League. In the past eight years, the Jacks have won five championships (four when tabbed as favorite, one tabbed as runner-up), finished runner-up twice (2014, 2015), and took the bronze once (2011). It is also the second consecutive year the men have gathered all but one first-place votes.

It is the first time that both junior Chase Cayo and senior Kyle Burdick were nominated for the league's athletes to watch.

As for the women - who are runner-up favorites, it is the second-consecutive year the team has been selected as runner-ups in the preseason and the third time overall since joining the league (2012). The last times they actually finished in second place at The Summit League Championships was in 2015 and in 2013 - when they were predicted to finish third in the league. The Jacks have placed in the top-three of each league championship since 2012 - winning the league title once in 2008.

Senior Rachel King was nominated as SDSU's athlete to watch in the league. It's her second career athlete to watch nomination (named athlete to watch in 2016) in cross country.

SUMMIT LEAGUE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
South Dakota State's cross country runner Gabe Peters earned his first career Summit League Athlete of the Week honors this afternoon after his performance at the Woody Greeno Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 15.

The sophomore from Worthing, S.D. led the team to a fourth-place finish (104 points) in Lincoln, Neb. on what was a hot and humid Saturday morning. He placed eighth overall with a personal-best mark in the 8k-race (25:12.9) to be the first non-Big 10 student-athlete to cross the finish line.

He finished as the fastest Jackrabbit in a race for the first time and beat his previous-best mark by 15.4 seconds, which was set at the 2017 Pre-National Invitational in Louisville, Ky.

Peters, the 2017 newcomer to the championship recipient, is the first SDSU cross country runner to win the weekly award in the 2018 campaign after State claimed athlete of the week honors each time they competed in the regular season last year.

LAST TIME OUT: WOODY GREENO INVITE
The South Dakota State cross country teams finished competition at the Woody Greeno Invitational with the men finishing fourth (104 points) in the University Division standings and the women scoring a sixth-place finish (144 points). The competition was tough, but so were the conditions - hot and humid (80 degree and 70 percent humidity by the men's start time).

Leading off were the women, who competed against three Big Ten teams and four other Summit League foes. In all, there were six regionally ranked teams, including nationally-ranked Michigan team (#12) at Mahoney Golf Course - the 2018 Big Ten cross country championship site. The Jackrabbits were able to pull away from Air Force (finished 10th), who is ranked eighth in the Mountain Region, according to USTFCCCA.

The men followed, also competing against three Big Ten schools and three other Summit League contenders. The field was stacked with regionally ranked competition (Midwest region: Minnesota - No. 4, won; Iowa - No. 8, runner-up; Nebraska - No. 9 - third). SDSU managed to beat all Summit League schools represented (NDSU - sixth, 139; USD - eighth, 239; UND - ninth, 265).

Men
The men's team (fourth, 104) had sophomore Gabe Peters lead the way - placing eight overall with a personal-best mark in the 8k (25:12.9). He was the first non-Big 10 student-athlete across the finish line and it was his first race as a Jack where he lead the team.

Sophomore Micah Mather (25:36.7) and redshirt freshman Michael Schwinghamer (25:39.5) finished behind Peters, going 17th and 18th with a 3.2-second gap. Both of them recorded personal-best marks.

Redshirt freshman Alexander Auch rounded out the top 30 for the Jackrabbits with a 29th-place finish (25:54.1). His mark is his best attached-8k mark.

Junior Lukas Nelson returned to the cross country course for the first time this season, finishing 34th (26:07.1), while sophomore Evan Fick notched a personal-best mark (26:19.9) in a 43rd-place attempt.

Four other Jackrabbits recorded their best season-opening 8k-marks.

Women
Senior Rachel King led the Jackrabbits, placing 14th overall (22:00.4) in her first race attempt of the season. She was the third Summit League student-athlete to cross the finish line and it was her best 6k-start of a season.

Junior Emily Donnay returned to the cross country course after redshirting her 2017 season. She finished two places ahead of her younger sister, sophomore Anna Donnay (34th - 22:35.2), for 32nd overall (22:31.2).

Junior Anna Fasen finished 89th overall (24:04.3) and notched a personal-best mark in the 6k.

Senior Mackenzie Schell (41st, 22:48.1) and freshman Ellie Friesen (45th, 23:01.9) rounded out the Jacks in the top-50 out of 162 runners. Schell, along with three other SDSU runners, posted their fastest season-opening 6k marks.

#SUNDAYSPOTLIGHTS FEATURES
Sunday Spotlight is a weekly feature to share some of the stories of the Jackrabbits competing in cross country and track and field.

PREVIOUS SUNDAY SPOTLIGHTS
Donnay & Peters Set For Sophomore Step (Sept. 9)
Two Jacks Share Different Hometown Experiences (Sept. 16)
Cayo Looking For Another Big Step (Sept. 23)

UP NEXT
The team will have a weekend off (Oct. 6) before some of the Jackrabbits travel to Verona, Wis. to compete on the 2018 NCAA Championship site at the Pre-National Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin, while another group will travel to Grand Forks, N.D. to compete at North Dakota's Ron Pynn Classic on Hobo Weekend (Oct. 13).

It is the second-consecutive year that the South Dakota State cross country teams will split like this on Hobo Weekend.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the South Dakota State cross country teams, follow the Jackrabbits on Twitter (@GoJacksTFXC) and Instagram (@GoJacksTFXC), and like us on Facebook (/GoJacksTFXC).

-GoJacks.com-