Carol Miller

Vermillion, S.D. – Rainy and cold conditions didn’t slow down the USD men’s and women’s cross country squads on Saturday, as both sides bounced back with respectable showings at the South Dakota State Classic in Brookings, S.D. The women battled to fifth place, while the men earned sixth running in light rain and temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. Both squads finished one place ahead of Great West-rival North Dakota.

On the women’s side, senior Ramsey Fitzsimmons (Yankton, S.D.) was the first runner not from Minnesota or Kansas State to cross the line, as she earned 10th in 18:02 over the 5k course. The Coyote’s freshmen contingent continued to run well with Carol Miller (Mead, Neb.) finishing 26th in 19:10 as the second USD runner, and Sigornie Pfefferle (Grand Island, Neb.) claiming USD’s fourth position in 19:29 for a 35th-place overall finish. Fellow freshman Ali Gress (Papillion, Neb.) was South Dakota’s sixth finisher in 20:04 for 45th place. Junior Sarah Wickman (Iowa City, Iowa) posted a 19:22 to finish in 33rd as USD’s third runner. Sophomores Abby Duling (Gregory, S.D.) and Kelsey Robish (Huron, S.D.) ran 19:44 and 20:31, respectively, to round out the Coyote’s top seven finishers.

The South Dakota men, who have been battling sickness and minor injuries, used a pack mentality to claim a nice finish on Saturday. Senior Rob Gregoire (Wakonda, S.D.) claimed top honors for USD again, as he made his way over the 8k course in 26:27 for 13th place. The next four Coyote runners crossed the finish line within 38 seconds of each other, and were led by freshman Ethan Marquardt (Albert Lea, Minn.) in 26:58 (27th). Junior Andrew Duba (Sioux Falls, S.D.) claimed 29th place with a 27:06, followed closely by freshman Andy Coy (Hill City, S.D.) in 27:19 (42nd) and sophomore Nick Beare (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in 27:36 (53rd). Freshmen Eric Thien (Tipton, Iowa) was USD’s sixth runner in 27:46 for 57th place, while senior Sean Fitzsimmons (Yankton, S.D.) claimed 59th with a time of 27:51.

The top seven USD runners on the men’s and women’s side finished in the top half of the field. Full results from both races can be found by clicking on the link above. South Dakota continues its season when the Coyotes host the Tim Young Open on Friday at the Don Baker Cross Country Course in Vermillion. The men run at 4 p.m., with the women following at 4:45 p.m.