South Dakota State’s men and South Dakota’s women were picked as preseason favorites to claim The Summit League Cross Country Championships in a poll of the league’s head coaches.
South Dakota State, the defending Summit League champion, totaled 25 points and received the maximum possible five first-place votes to finish first in the men’s poll. The Jackrabbits return three All-Summit performers, including a pair of first team honorees in Ayub Kassim (3rd at 2016 Summit League Championship) and Kyle Burdick (6th). North Dakota State finished second with 21 points and the remaining first-place vote while South Dakota (17 points) placed third.
On the women’s side, South Dakota had 33 points and four-of-six first-place votes to edge past South Dakota State’s 32 points and two first-place votes. The Coyotes won their third consecutive Summit League Championship last season and return their top four finishers – Julia Noah (3rd), Erin Wetzstein (4th), Megan Billington (9th), Lindsay Joyce (12th) from last year’s title meet. The Jackrabbits return the top two top finishers at last season’s league championship, reigning Summit League Athlete of the Year Emily Donnay (1st) and Rachel King (2nd).
