VERMILLION, S.D. -- The nationally-ranked South Dakota men's and women's cross country squads have high hopes as they head to the North Central Conference Championships in Grand Forks, N.D., which begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The championships, to be hosted by the University of North Dakota, will be held at the Ray Richards Golf Course in Grand Forks, N.D. UND is hosting the meet for the first time since 1995.
Women's Review
The South Dakota women's cross country team, which is ranked 24th in the Cross Country Coaches Association Poll, will seek its fourth-straight NCC title on Saturday, Oct. 22 in Grand Forks, N.D. The 6K women's race will begin at 11 a.m. Coyotes' head coach Rob Kinnunen was named the women's NCC Coach of the Year for the third straight year in 2004 after USD outdistanced Augustana, 39 to 70 points, to win its third straight NCC title. After winning the league title a year ago, USD went on to finish 11th at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Evansville, Ill., last Nov. 20.
Aimee Nielsen, who has earned two NCC Women's Athlete of the Week honors this fall for South Dakota, will again lead USD. A year ago, Nielsen of Mason City, Iowa, was third at the NCC meet. Two other runners on last year's team - Mary Bennett of Scotland, S.D., and Kaylee Keating of Sioux Falls, S.D., finished fourth and eighth, respectively, and will again be key members for the South Dakota women's squad. USD had never won a women's title before 2002, but now has won three straight titles. The Coyote women's team has never had an individual cross country champion.
The best clockings this season (6K distance) for the USD team members include the following: Aimee Nielson (Mason City, Iowa), 18:20.76 (Don Baker Meet record on Oct. 7); Kaylee Keating (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 18:39.33; Lexi Dunlop (Woodbine, Iowa), 19:06.29; Jessica Lundgren (Truman, Minn.), 19:26.03; Allison Duba (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 19:39.93; Kelsey Maloney (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 19:44.29; Amber Freidrich (Algona, Iowa), 20:09.5; Amy Steckelberg (Yankton, S.D.), 20:13.70; Amanda Roeman (Dell Rapids, S.D.), 20:38.4; Cassie Swain (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 20:47.10; and Mary Bennett (Scotland, S.D.), 21:02.67.
Men's Review
The South Dakota men's team, which is ranked 23rd in the national cross country poll, will look for its first team title, since winning two straight league crowns in 1997-98. The Coyotes have won four overall titles (1998, 1997, 1995, and 1994). The men's race will be held immediately following the women's race on Saturday.
A year ago, USD was third in the NCC meet with 66 points (MSU won it with 50 points). USD's highest finish since winning it all in 1998, was its second-place finish in 2002. If the Coyotes break a seven-year title drought, it will be led by senior Tony Turgeon of Sioux Falls, S.D. Turgeon has been one of the best cross country performers this season and will try and become USD's first individual champion (six overall) on the men's side, since Matt Hoyt won his second-straight individual title in 1998. Turgeon has three individual titles and three second place victories in meets this fall. In earning a second place finish at the SDSU meet on Sept. 31 in Brookings, Turgeon clocked a 25:07.25, which is an all-time best for him. A year ago at the NCC meet, he finished second by covering the 8K course in 25:22.88 and leading the USD men to a third-place finish.
If the Coyotes are to contend, USD will also need a strong performance from junior Tyler Wetering of Sioux Falls, S.D. Wetering was named the NCC Athlete of the Week on Oct. 11, after clocking a season and personal best of 25:10.16 at the Coyote Invitational at the Don Baker Cross Country Course in Vermillion on Oct. 7. Other key members will include Matt Yaggie (Mission Hill, S.D.) and Matt Dewald (Yankton, S.D.) who have both clocked times under 27 minutes, as well as, Nate Seier (Dubuque, Iowa), Doug Galbavy (Lennox, S.D.), Dustin Letcher (Freeman, S.D.), and Josh Blue (Council Bluffs, Iowa).
The best clockings (8K) this season for the USD team members include the following: Tony Turgeon, 25:07.2; Tyler Wetering, 25:10.16; Matt Dewald (Yankton, S.D.), 26:01.46; Matt Yaggie (Mission Hill, S.D.), 26:09.9; Nate Seier (Dubuque, Iowa), 26:25.92; Doug Galbavy Lennox, S.D.), 27:07.27; Dustin Letcher (Freeman, S.D.), 28:02; and Josh Blue (Council Bluffs, Iowa), 28:24.4.
USCCCA North Central Region
Men's Rankings
1. Adams State
2. Western State
3. Colorado School of Mines
4. Minnesota State
5. Colorado-Colorado Springs
6. South Dakota
7. Augustana
8. New Mexico Highlands
9. Wayne State
10. Minnesota Duluth
USCCCA North Central Region
Women's Rankings
1. Adams State
2. Colorado School of Mines
3. Colorado-Colorado Springs
4. Western State
5. Nebraska-Omaha
6. South Dakota
7. North Dakota
8. Fort Lewis
9. Augustana
10. Minnesota State
USD Head Cross Country Coach
Rob Kinnunen is in his fourth season at South Dakota. Kinnunen has led the USD's women's team to three consecutive NCC crowns. In 2004, Kinnunen received his third straight NCC Women's Coach of the Year honor. The men's team finished third in 2004. Currently Kinnunen has both of his teams nationally ranked. Originally of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, Kinnunen was a cross country all-American at South Dakota in 1979. Kinnunen, a former NCC record holder, won the 10,000 meters while competing for John Notheis at South Dakota. A 1981 graduate of USD (HPER, social science), he served as graduate assistant for Duane Schopp during the 1981-82 seasons at South Dakota. In 1982, he was named the head men's and women's cross country coach and women's track and field coach. In 1984, he left coaching to train for the U.S. Olympics marathon. He returned to coaching, taking a position with Augustana in January 1985, where he served as head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at until 1999. Kinnunen was NCC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1989 and NCC and NCAA regional men's Coach of the Year in 1991 at Augustana. Kinnunen has coached 67 NCAA Division II All-Americans and five national champions, including Molly Wedel who won the 10K in 2003. Kinnunen was also the 1999 South Dakota Coaches Association Cross-Country Coach of the Year.
