SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Jackrabbit men and the Bison women were picked to claim the 2024 Summit League cross country crowns in the preseason coaches’ poll released Wednesday by League officials.
 
The reigning champion, South Dakota State, edged North Dakota State for the top spot of the poll after collecting 36 total points and four of seven first-place votes. North Dakota State followed with 35 total points and one first-place vote. Oral Roberts sits in third with 29 total points and one first-place vote followed by North Dakota with 27 points. South Dakota earned the final remaining first-place vote and 25 total points for fifth place while St. Thomas (24) and Kansas City (13) rounded out the men’s poll rankings.
 
The North Dakota State women collected 45 total points and four of eight first-place votes to sit atop the preseason poll. South Dakota State finished right behind the Bison with 44 points and two first-place votes while defending champion South Dakota sits third overall with 39 points and the remaining two first-place votes. North Dakota finished in fourth with 32 points and St. Thomas in fifth with 23 total points. Omaha (21), Kansas City (11) and Oral Roberts (9) completed the women’s rankings.
 
2024 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL

	Team	Score (1st place votes)
1.	South Dakota State	36 (4)
2.	North Dakota State	35 (1)
3.	Oral Roberts	29 (1)
4.	North Dakota	27
5.	South Dakota	25 (1)
6.	St. Thomas	24
7.	Kansas City	13

 
2024 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL

	Team	Score (1st place votes)
1.	North Dakota State	45 (4)
2.	South Dakota State	44 (2)
3.	South Dakota	39 (2)
4.	North Dakota	32
5.	St. Thomas	23
6.	Omaha	21
7.	Kansas City	11
8.	Oral Roberts	9

 
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Note: Athletes to Watch nominated by league's head coaches
Carson Noecker, South Dakota State
So. | Hartington, Neb.

• Named the 2023 Summit League Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year
• Claimed the individual Summit League title, Newcomer of the Championship and helped SDSU capture their eighth consecutive League crown with a winning 8K time of 24:17.2
• Earned all-region honors with a 15^th-place finish at the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional, clocking a 10K time of 30:50.0

Jake Arason, North Dakota State
Sr. | Grand Forks, N.D.

• Place 14^th at the League championships with an 8K time of 25:12.8 good for All-Summit League second team honors
• Was the sixth Bison to cross the finish line at the League championships
• No. 2 finisher for NDSU in the first three meets of the season

Abraham Chelangam, Oral Roberts
R-So. | Kampala, Uganda

• Named 2023-24 Summit League Indoor & Outdoor Track Championship MVP
• Claimed 2023-24 Summit League Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors
• Won the mile, 3000m and 5000m at the League Indoor Championships
• Finished second in the 1,500m at the League Outdoor Championships while taking gold in the 5,000m and the 10,000m

Ian Busche, North Dakota
So. | Hazen, N.D.

• Opened the 2023 season with a sixth-place finish at the Ron Pynn Classic, finishing the 6K race in 19:17.2
• Ran a season-best time of 25:56.5 in the 8K at the SDSU Classic good for 23^rd overall
• Took 32^nd at the League championships with an 8K finish of 26:00.0

Aleksa Milanovic, North Dakota
So. | Cuprija, Serbia

• Took third at the Ron Pynn Classic with a 6K time of 18:53.9
• Clocked a season-best time of 25:13.6 in the 8K at the SDSU Classic finishing 14^th overall
• Finished 23^rd at the League championships with an 8K time of 25:37.3

Caleb Rivera, South Dakota
Sr. | St. James, Minn.

• Transferred from Sioux Falls
• Clocked a personal-best four-mile time of 20:02.6 earning himself a top 20 finish at the Augustana Twilight
• Took 16^th place at the NSIC Cross Country Championships with a personal-best 8K time of 25:01.0

Natnael Kifle, South Dakota
Fr. | Sioux City, Iowa

• Placed third at the 2023 Iowa State Cross Country Championships
• Was a member of Sioux City North’s state championship team (2020) and runner-up squad (2021)
• Owns a personal-best time of 15:00.28 in the 5K on the cross country course

Caden Nordberg, St. Thomas
Jr. | St. Michael, Minn.

• Started the 2023 season with a four-mile personal-best time of 19:38.8 to take seventh place at the Augustana Twilight
• Clocked a personal-best five-mile time of 24:38.8 at the Joe Piane Invitational, taking 10^th overall
• Earned All-Summit League first team honors

Sean McNiesh, St. Thomas
Jr. | Woodbury, Minn.

• Clocked a personal-best four-mile time of 20:42.43 at the Augustana Twilight
• Finished 51^st at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite with a personal-best five-mile time of 25:23.9
• Took 17^th overall at the League championships with a personal-best 8K time of 25:21.67

Samuel Cleary, Kansas City
Jr. | Liberty, Mo.

• Ran a season-best 8K time of 25:39.8 at the Platte River Rumble to finish 31^st
• Took 41^st at the League championships with an 8K time of 26:16.7
• Finished the 10K race at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in 33:36.9

Joan Rocha-Navarro, Kansas City
Sr. | SC Tenerife, Canary Islands

• Finished 24^th overall at the Platte River Rumble with an 8K time of 25:28.1
• Recorded an 8K time of 25:59.9 at the League championships to finish 31^st overall
• Ran 25:44.2 in the 8K race at the Gans Creek Invitational to finish 78^th overall

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON ATHLETES TO WATCH LIST
Note: Athletes to Watch nominated by league’s head coaches
Reagan Baesler, North Dakota State
Sr. | Mayville, N.D.

• Among NDSU’s top two finishers at every meet during the 2023 season
• Earned All-Summit League second team honors at the League championships with an 11th-place finish and a 6K time of 21:38.0
• Took 6^th at the SDSU Classic with a personal-best 5K time of 18:08.6

Jessica Lutmer, South Dakota State
Jr. | Pierre, S.D.

• Clocked a personal-best 5K time of 18:23.2 at the SDSU Classic good for 11^th place
• Turned in a personal-best 6K time of 20:59.0 at the Arturo Barrios Invite
• Finished ninth at the League Championships with a 6K time of 21:24.5

Madison Brouwer, South Dakota
So. | Sibley, Iowa

• Named 2023 Summit League Women’s Cross Country Newcomer of the Championship
• Placed fourth at the League championships with a 6K time of 21:17.6, earning All-Summit League first team honors
• Crossed the finish line in 32^nd place at the NCAA Midwest Regional with a 6K time of 21:27.2

Alexis Pagel, South Dakota
So. | Chandler, Ariz.

• Opened the 2023 season with a personal-best 5K time of 19:05.4 at the Augustana Twilight
• Clocked a personal-best 6K time of 22:25.4 at the Bradley Pink Classic
• Crossed the finish line in a 6K time of 22:50.3 at the League Championships

Frida Giersdorff, North Dakota
So. | Bavaria, Germany

• Placed fifth at the Ron Pynn Classic with a 5K time of 19:14.6
• Clocked a season-best 6K time of 22:11.5 at the Paul Short Run
• Took 26^th overall at the League championships with a 6K time of 22:32.0

Eliana Malnourie, North Dakota
Sr. | Hayward, Wis.

• Kicked off the 2023 season with a third-place finish at the Ron Pynn Classic, finishing the 5K race in 18:34.2
• Finished 15^th in the 6K race (21:56.1) at the League championships
• Took 84^th in the 6K with a time of 22:15.9 at the NCAA Midwest Regional

Molly Desotell, St. Thomas
Sr. | Green Bay, Wis.

• Started the 2023 season with a ninth-place finish at the Augustana Twilight after clocking a 5K time of 18:04.64
• Took eighth at the Joe Piane Invitational with a personal-best 5K time of 17:31.0, the fastest 5K time in the League last season
• Earned All-Summit League second team honors at the League championships after finishing the 6K course in 21:21.3, good for eighth overall

Ava Pankratz, St. Thomas
Sr. | Eau Claire, Wis.

• Clocked a personal-best 5K time of 18:14.8 at the Joe Piane Invitational to take 37^th overall
• Recorded a season-best 6K time of 22:05.1 at the Bradley Pink Classic
• Finished the League championships in 30^th overall after crossing the finish line in a 6K time of 22:40.0

Kamryn Ensley, Omaha
Jr. | Clive, Iowa

• Finished in the top 25 in four of six meets last season
• Took 6^th overall at the Platte River Rumble finishing the 6K race in 21:38.7
• Placed 22^nd at the League championships with a 6K time of 22:18.4

Harper Barlow, Kansas City
So. | Yukon, Okla.

• Made her collegiate debut at the Gans Creek Invitational with a 6K time of 25:49.4
• Ran a personal-best 6K time of 24:04.4 at the Platte River Rumble
• Finished the 6K League championships race in a time of 24:24.4

Mariah Belmont, Kansas City
Fr. | Eskisehir, Turkey

• Was an All-American and All-State performer as a team captain
• 2022 conference champion in the 3,200m race
• Two-time conference runner-up in cross country

Ossly Murambidzi, Oral Roberts
Fr. | Harare, Zimbabwe

• Finished 6^th at the Kazungala Bridge Half Marathon
• Ran the 3,000m, 5,000m and 6K cross country event at the 2022 AUSC Region 5 Games in Lilongwe, Malawi