Women’s cross country win third straight Summit League title
The Coyote women’s cross country team won their third straight Summit League title last Saturday at the Summit League Championship in Macomb, Illinois.
USD became just the fourth school to win three straight Summit League titles. The USD men finished fourth at the tournament.
The men came in behind South Dakota State University who won first with 25 points. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis came in second with 33 points, North Dakota State beat out the Coyotes for third with 74 points and the Coyotes rounded out the top four with 131 points.
Senior Mach Dojiok was the top finisher for the men, coming in 14th overall. The finish put him on the All-Summit League second team. Dojiok is a three-time Summit League 800-meter champion.
Following Dojiok at 22nd and 24th overall were sophomore Hunter Paulsen and junior Brice Cowman, behind them came sophomores Pierce Libbey and Eldon Warner together at 35th and 36th.
For the women, their 43 points were good enough to beat second place North Dakota State University’s 48. This was the closest victory of the Coyotes’ past three in the Summit League Championship. The SDSU women came in third with 55 points and IUPUI finished fourth with 101.
Freshman Julia Noah was the leader for the women, and placed third. Junior Erin Wetzstein was right behind her in fourth place. Their performances earned both Noah and Wetzstein first team All-Summit League. Noah also won the Newcomer of the Championship award, as she was the highest-placing freshman.
Sophomores Megan Billington and Lindsey Joyce were the next best finishers for the Coyotes, coming in at ninth and 12th respectively. The pair’s performances earned them second team places on the All-Summit League team.
Sophomore Madeline Huglen came in 15th for USD, missing the second team by just one spot.
The next placing Coyotes were in the 20s. Redshirt sophomore Bethany Kozak came in at 20th, freshman Kianna Stewart at 25th, senior Jessica Feldman at 29th and sophomore Liz Bohn finished just outside of the 20s at 31st.
The Coyotes’ strong performances netted head coach Dan Fitzsimmons his third straight Summit League Women’s Coach of the Year award.
USD’s work isn’t done, as they prepare for the NCAA Midwest Regional in Iowa City, Iowa on Friday, Nov. 11.
