SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—South Dakota junior Abby Ripperda has been named the Summit League Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the period ended Sept. 8.
 
A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ripperda garners the league's weekly honor for the first time of her career. The junior is in the midst of a breakout fall, leading the Coyotes at back-to-back meets to open the season. Ripperda took home her first collegiate cross country meet title last Friday in winning the Augustana Twilight.
 
Ripperda completed the 5,000-meter Yankton Trail Park course in 16 minutes, 47 seconds, to set a new Augustana Twilight meet record. The time is two seconds faster than her 5,000-meter track personal best and more than two minutes faster than she ran at the same meet a year ago.
 
The Coyotes added its fourth-consecutive team title at the Augustana Twilight behind Ripperda's individual win. USD scored 40 points to outdo runner-up Nebraska by 27.
 
South Dakota cross country is back in action on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Woody Greeno Invitational held at Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln, Nebraska.