The Meet

South Dakota's men's and women's cross country squads kick off the 2021 season under the lights at the Augustana Twilight held at Yankton Trail Park on Friday night in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The women's 5,000-meter race is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. with the men to follow in a four-mile race at 9 p.m.
 

The Coyote Women

Fifth-year junior Abby Ripperda and second-year freshman Abrielle Jirele were named Summit League Runners to Watch ahead of the season. Ripperda's last cross season in 2019 was filled with accolades – all-Midwest Region, all-Summit League, two meet wins and seven top-10 finishes. She's the defending champion of the Augustana Twilight from 2019. It was the second time in as many years that a Coyote woman had won the race, with Megan Billington taking gold in 2018. Ripperda owns the fastest time by a Coyote on the course with her clocking of 16:47.07 from 2019. Jirele makes her collegiate cross country debut on Friday. She's coming off a freshman track and field campaign where she scored in five different events between the indoor and outdoor conference meets. South Dakota has seven women returning from its 2019 roster, while 14 Coyotes will make their cross country debut.
 

The Coyote Men

Fourth-year junior Merga Gemeda and third-year sophomore Charlie Babcock made the Summit League Runners to Watch list. Gemeda earned all-Summit second team honors during both his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He led USD in five of seven meets during the 2019 season. Babcock finished 22nd at the 2019 Summit League Championships as a true freshman. South Dakota has five men returning from its 2019 roster with a pair of Coyotes making their cross country debut.
 

The History

South Dakota has won the last four women's team titles at the Augustana Twilight. A Coyote won the individual women's title three times in five years.
 

One Last Thing

This marks South Dakota's first cross country race since 2019. One of the many effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was fall sports being pushed to the spring semester on campuses. Unfortunately for cross country athletes, there was no easy way to move a cross country schedule into the middle of track and field season. There were Summit League and NCAA Championships held in the spring of 2021, but the Coyotes opted out to allow athletes to concentrate on the ongoing track and field season. 22 months since their last race, the Coyotes will finally toe the line again.