Andrew Duba

Vermillion, S.D. - The University of South Dakota cross country teams continue their 2009 campaign by hosting the Tim Young Open on Friday afternoon at the Don Baker Cross Country Course in Vermillion. The college women will run a 5k at 4 p.m., while the college men will follow with an 8k at 4:45 p.m. An open 3k race, which will feature several USD alumni, will be run at 5:30 p.m.

Tim Young Open Schedule
4 p.m. - College Women (5k)
4:45 p.m. - College Men (8k)
5:30 p.m. - Open/Alumni (3k)
6 p.m. - Awards Presentation

Tim Young Teams
Creighton
North Dakota
South Dakota

Scouting the Opponents
The Coyotes will welcome North Dakota and Creighton to the Don Baker Cross Country Course for the Tim Young Open on Friday.

The Fighting Sioux, a Great West Conference foe, finished one place behind USD in the men’s and women’s division last Saturday at the SDSU Classic in Brookings, S.D. The men were led by junior Josh LaBlanc, while senior Brittany Brenny was UND’s top finisher. The Coyotes also defeated both Fighting Sioux squads at the Woody Greeno on Sept. 19.The Tim Young Open will be the fourth race of the season for UND.

The Bluejays, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, will face the Coyotes for the second time this season. USD defeated the CU men and women at the Woody Greeno on Sept. 19. Creighton is led by freshman Hannah Connealy, who has led the team in every meet this season, while sophomore Stephen VanGampleare is the top men’s performer. Friday’s race will be the fifth of the season for the Bluejays.

Last Time Out: USD Cross Country Battles Conditions at SDSU Classic
Rainy and cold conditions didn’t slow down the USD men’s and women’s cross country squads last 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 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 finishing 26th in 19:10 as the second USD runner, and Sigornie Pfefferle claiming USD’s fourth position in 19:29 for a 35th-place overall finish. Fellow freshman Ali Gress was South Dakota’s sixth finisher in 20:04 for 45th place. Junior Sarah Wickman posted a 19:22 to finish in 33rd as USD’s third runner. Sophomores Abby Duling and Kelsey Robish 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 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 in 26:58 (27th). Junior Andrew Duba claimed 29th place with a 27:06, followed closely by freshman Andy Coy in 27:19 (42nd) and sophomore Nick Beare in 27:36 (53rd). Freshmen Eric Thien was USD’s sixth runner in 27:46 for 57th place, while senior Sean Fitzsimmons 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.

Fitzsimmons Named Great West Runner of the Week
Senior Ramsey Fitzsimmons has been named the Great West Conference Runner of the Week, the league announced Wednesday. The weekly honor is Fitzsimmons first this season and seventh of her career.

A native of Yankton, S.D., Fitzsimmons finished 10th in the South Dakota State Classic at Brookings, S.D., last Saturday. She was the first runner not from Minnesota or Kansas State to cross the line, as she completed the 6k race in 18:02. She helped the Coyotes to a fifth-place team finish in a meet that included Minnesota, Kansas State, South Dakota State and North Dakota State. USD finished one place ahead of Great West foe North Dakota.

Cornhusker Freshmen
The USD women have found quite a connection to the Cornhusker state during the 2009 season. The freshmen trio of Carol Miller, Sigornie Pfefferle and Ali Gress, who all hail from Nebraska, have made an immediate impact by finishing in USD’s top seven in all four meets so far. Pfefferle, a native a Grand Island, was the Coyotes’ second runner at the first two contests, while Miller, a former resident of Mead, has claimed the honor the past two races. Gress, a native of Papillion, has finished as high as third on the team.

Fresh Faces for the Men
The men also have some impact freshmen this fall in Ethan Marquardt, Andy Coy, Eric Thien and Kiko Mendoza. Marquardt has consistently been a frontrunner for the Coyotes, while Coy has also finished in the top seven at all four of USD’s meets. Thien has claimed the honor at three races, while Mendoza was South Dakota’s third finisher at the Woody Greeno but has been battling a minor foot injury.

All About Abigail
Abigail Duling, a native of Gregory, S.D., has been a solid contributor the past two seasons, but the sophomore got her moment of glory when she finished as USD’s top runner at the Roy Griak on Sept. 26. As a freshman last fall Duling was a consistent finisher in USD’s top seven, including competing for the Coyotes at the Great West Championship. She has built on that by finishing in South Dakota’s top five in all four races, while improving her time on three courses that she also raced on last season.

Marking Down Marquardt
Ethan Marquardt has quickly made an imprint on the men’s team during his first season with Coyotes. The Albert Lea, Minn., native has finished second on the South Dakota squad at three races and was the Coyotes’ top finisher at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 26. After qualifying for the Minnesota state meet twice in his prep career, Marquardt could be a candidate for all-conference honors as a freshman.

Billy Mills Visits Campus
The greatest runner in South Dakota history paid the Coyotes a visit on Sept. 16, when Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills visited Vermillion. Mills, a native of Pine Ridge, S.D. and the only American to ever win the 10,000-meter race, appeared at the Muenster University Center Ballroom to give a motivational speech and take pictures with fans. USD also has a current runner with Native American ties in Kiko Mendoza. The freshman grew up in Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, S.D., on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

Filling Up on Fitzsimmons
The USD cross country squad has plenty of Fitzsimmons this year. The team is directed by second-year head coach Dan Fitzsimmons, while his son Sean Fitzsimmons is a senior on the team this year. Sean is married to Ramsey (Kavan) Fitzsimmons who is a senior on the women’s squad this fall.

Dialing Up Dan
The 2009 Great West Cross Country Championships will be a bit of a homecoming for USD head coach Dan Fitzsimmons. A native of New York City, Fitzsimmons was born in the Bronx and grew up on Long Island, which is less than 20 miles from Newark, New Jersey, where the conference meet will be held on Oct. 31. Fitzsimmons ran on the same course during his high school career, before his standout running career for South Dakota.

Next Up
The Coyotes continue their season with a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 17. The men run their first 10k of the year at 9:45 a.m., while the women race a 6k at 10:30 a.m.