SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota’s Tom Scott and South Dakota State’s Rod DeHaven were voted the 2026 Summit League Cross Country Coaches of the Year, League officials unveiled Monday. The award recipients were selected by a vote from the League’s head coaches based on the respective teams performances throughout the 2026 cross country season.
Scott garnered the second Coach of the Year honor in program history after leading the Fighting Hawk women to back-to-back conference championships. The Fighting Hawks’ success this season fueled by a combination of standout individual performances and remarkable depth. Summit League Championship MVP Shewaye Johnson posted the second-fastest winning time in Summit League Championship history (20:30.0), while Olivia Correale became just the second woman in League history to break the 20-minute barrier, running 19:55.3 at the Gans Creek Classic.
Johnson and Correale were two of five runners on the squad to run under 21 minutes during the season, alongside Naja Weiler, Marie-Louise Jorgensen and Frida Giersdorff. The team's depth was further evident as its next four runners all recorded times under 22 minutes, showcasing the strength of the lineup from top to bottom.
North Dakota captured two team titles during the 2026 season, opening with a victory at the Dragon Twilight before closing out the regular season with a Summit League Championship title this past Saturday. The Fighting Hawks also made program history in the national rankings, receiving votes in the Week 2 USTFCCCA Coaches Poll for the first time since transitioning to NCAA Division I. North Dakota was the only Summit League women's team to receive votes in the national rankings this season.
For the fifteenth time in program history, DeHaven led the Jackrabbits to the Summit League Men’s Cross Country Championship title, earning the Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honor in the process.
The SDSU men captured their league-record 11th consecutive Summit League Championship, placing five runners in the top 10. Eli Hall, Jackson Dutcher and Cashton Johnson earned First Team All-Summit League honors, while Brandon Kampsen and Cade Sanvik secured second-team recognition, giving the Jackrabbits five All-League selections.
DeHaven's squad put together a dominant season, capturing four team titles at the Augustana Twilight, St. Olaf Invitational, Platte River Rumble and Summit League Championship. South Dakota State's success was also fueled by its depth, with three runners, Cashton Johnson, Jackson Dutcher and Will Lohr, recording times under 24 minutes during the season. Four additional Jackrabbits, including First Team All-Summit League honoree Eli Hall, posted times under 24:30, while two more runners broke the 25-minute barrier.
The Jackrabbits have maintained a consistent presence in the USTFCCCA national rankings throughout the season, appearing in the polls every week while climbing as high as No. 10 after opening the season at No. 11.
Both teams will head to the 2026 NCAA Midwest Regional set for Friday, Nov. 13 in Ames, Iowa, hosted by Iowa State at the Iowa State Cross Country Course. The Fighting Hawks and Jackrabbits will be vying for a bid to the NCAA championship meet Saturday, Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind. The Summit League Cross Country Athletes of the Year will be announced following the NCAA Championships.
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