MACOMB, Ill. – The South Dakota State cross country program swept Friday’s 2020 Summit League Cross Country Championships at Spring Lake Park. Both the men and women won with scores of 22, while Leah Hansen was named individual champion on the women’s side and earned a trip to Stillwater, Okla. for the NCAA National Championships on March 15.
Hansen’s winning 6K mark of 21:45.60 comes as a jump from her previous PR of 22:11.80 from last year’s conference meet. Behind the sophomore, the Jacks would sweep the next three spots when Ellie Friesen finished second with a mark of 21:55.69, Anna Donnay finished third with a 21:58.00 clocking and Cailee Peterson ran her best 6K to date, finishing fourth with a mark of 22:14.10.
Jessica Christoffer ran a 22:51.50 for 12th place, Janean Hanka finished 16th with a PR of 23:07.23, Bridget Henne tallied a PR of 23:23.30 for 17th place and Malorie Schmoll rounded out Jackrabbit finishers with a personal-best 24:03.80 and 23rd place finish.
The win comes as South Dakota State’s first on the women’s side since 2008 when the Jacks won in Shreveport, La.
In the men’s 8K rance, reigning conference champion Joseph Minor-Williams turned in a runner-up performance with a 25:01.49 clocking. Thomas Breuckman ran a 25:03.69 for third, Ben Olson ran a 25:05.28 for fourth, Gabe Peters took sixth with a 25:21.21 and Max Selbach finished seventh with a 25:24.08 to round out Jacks finishers in the top 10. Carter Knaus turned in an 11th place finish with a personal-best 25:45.31 and Mason McDonald finished 12th in a time of 25.52.02. Right behind McDonald, Alex Auch ran a 25:56.20 for 13th and Michael Schwinghamer capped the Jackrabbit harriers with a 26:37.65 clocking good enough for 20th place.
The win ties South Dakota State with Southern Utah (1995-2001) for most consecutive league titles and comes as the program’s ninth overall.
For the first time since the 2004 Summit League Cross Country Championships, the Jackrabbits swept the league titles as Southern Utah was the last program to capture a true sweep of the league titles. Moreover, it was the first time since 2007 that a men’s and women’s program swept a league title as the Southern Utah men won the league crown, while the Thunderbirds shared the league title with Fort Wayne.
