SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota’s Yonca Kutluk and South Dakota State’s Carson Noecker were named The Summit League Female and Male Cross Country Athletes of the Year, respectively, League officials announced Thursday. The awards were voted on by the League’s head coaches and based on the student-athletes’ performances throughout the 2023 season.
 
Kutluk is the first Fighting Hawk on the women’s side to win the award in league history after walking away with the league title and Championship MVP honors while helping North Dakota to a fourth-place finish. The Karatay, Turkey native crossed the finish line in a 6K time of 20:56.01, 10 seconds ahead of three-time defending champion Leah (Hansen) Hisken of South Dakota State (21:06.8).
 
Kutluk punched her ticket to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the women's 6K with a sixth-place finish, running a time of 20:36.4. She became the first female Fighting Hawk to qualify for the NCAA Championship in UND's Division I era. Kutluk also became the first UND runner on the women's side to qualify for an NCAA Championship meet since Heidi Evans qualified for the Division II meet in 2007.
 
Prior to the NCAA Midwest Regional, Kutluk only ran in two meets as a Fighting Hawk. Along with the Summit League Championships, Kutluk ran in the 6K at the Paul Short Run on Sept. 30 and was the story of the meet for UND, placing fifth with a time of 20:28.6. She previously ran unattached at the Ron Pynn Classic earlier in the season and claimed the individual 5K title with a time of 17:34.0 and finished over 27 seconds faster than the rest of the competition.
 
Noecker is the third consecutive Jackrabbit to take home the title on the men's side after Gabe Peters won the honor in 2021 and Ben Olson collected the award in 2022. The Hartington, Neb., native claimed the individual Summit League crown, Newcomer of the Championship and helped the Jackrabbits capture their eighth consecutive League title.
 
He went on to earn all-region honors with a 15^th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional, clocking a 10K time of 30:50.0.
 
Noecker garnered six top-15 finishes in the six meets he competed in throughout the season. In addition to his Summit League crown, he captured the Augustana Twilight individual title by completing the four-mile course in 18:55.99. At the SDSU Classic, he finished first overall in the 8K after crossing the finish line in 24:28.4.
 
For the first time in his career, South Dakota head Cross Country Coach Nolan Fife took home the Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honor. Fife guided the Coyotes to their sixth Summit League crown and an eighth-place finish overall at the NCAA Midwest Regional. South Dakota posted its fourth top-10 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional in 11 seasons.
 
For the eighth consecutive year, South Dakota State’s Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Rod DeHaven secured the Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honor. DeHaven helped guide the men to the program’s eighth straight League cross country team title and a fifth-place finish in the team standings at the NCAA Midwest Regionals.
 
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