NDSU Cross Country Hosts Bison Open Friday

The North Dakota State women’s and men’s cross country teams will begin the 2013 season by hosting the Bison Open at Rose Creek Golf Course in Fargo on Friday, Aug. 30.

The women’s 5k race is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with the men’s 8k to follow at approximately 6:35 p.m. Race distances are subject to heat and weather conditions.

NDSU will compete with South Dakota State, North Dakota and South Dakota in a triple-dual format in which true dual meet scores will be calculated for all six possible team matchups.

Women’s Preview

The Bison return five of their top six runners from the 2012 squad that posted a dominant performance at the conference meet, winning with 36 points for the second-best point total at the Summit League Championships since 2003.

NDSU’s top five finishers all placed in the top 15 at the conference meet last season, and senior Faith Kruchowski is the lone departure from that squad. All-Region honoree and Summit League runner-up Brecca Wahlund is back for her sophomore season, and seniors Heidi Peterson and Maddie McClellan will be back after first-team all-league performances in 2012.

Junior Abbi Aspengren and sophomore Tarin Lachowitzer are also among the returners. Aspengren placed eighth at the 2012 Summit League Championships, and Lachowitzer was NDSU’s No. 5 finisher at the NCAA Midwest Regional as a true freshman.

Redshirt freshman Erin Teschuk is expected to compete for the Bison this fall after impressive freshman seasons in indoor and outdoor track in 2013. She anchored the NDSU distance medley relay team to an indoor conference title and took fourth in the indoor 800m at the conference meet. Outdoor, Teschuk earned a runner-up finish in the 1500m at the Summit League Championships.

Four true freshmen have joined the roster in Jenny Guibert, Taylor Janssen, Kayla Woltz and Taylor McDonald. Guibert (Rochester Century HS) was a four-time placewinner in the 800m at the Minnesota High School Class AA State Championships, while Janssen (Moorhead HS) was a three-time Minnesota Class AA all-state performer in cross country, finishing in the top 20 at the state meet in each of her first three seasons.

Woltz (Chatfield HS) was a six-time qualifier for the Minnesota Class A Cross Country Championships, earning a top-10 finish on all six trips. McDonald (Totino-Grace HS) was a four-time Class AA state cross country meet participant.

Men’s Preview

The Bison return their entire squad that tied for sixth at the Summit League Championships in 2012, including upperclassmen Brett Kelly, Grady Anderson, Moses Heppner and Lucas DeGree.

Sophomores Brendan Skime and Bryon Schuldt also return for NDSU after serving as consistent contributors in 2012.

Kelly and Anderson were the top finishers for the Bison at the 2012 Summit League Championships, placing 20th and 21st, respectively. Schuldt led NDSU at the NCAA Midwest Regional as a true freshman, taking 95th place in the 10k race.

The newcomers include redshirt freshmen Ben Schultz and Matt Jennings, who were members of the NDSU track & field team in 2013 and will be joining the cross country squad this fall. Schultz placed fourth in the 800m at the Summit League Outdoor Championships in May.

Three true freshmen will also join the Bison this fall in Steven Cotter, Brant Gilbertson and Elias Hendrickson. Cotter (Andover HS) placed 12th at the Minnesota Class AA state cross country meet and was third in the 800m at the state track championships as senior in 2012, running 1:54.91. Hendrickson (Bemidji HS) was close behind Cotter in the 800m at the state meet, placing fourth, and he helped Bemidji to a sixth-place team finish at the 2012 state cross country meet.

Gilbertson (Watertown HS) placed eighth in the 3200m at the South Dakota state track meet as both a junior and senior, and he was sixth in the Class AA state cross country meet as a senior.