GRAND FORKS, North Dakota – South Dakota fifth-year senior Merga Gemeda earned All-Summit League honors for the third time in his career following an eighth-place finish Saturday at the Summit League Championships.
 
Gemeda, the season leader for the Coyotes, covered the Ray Richards Golf Course 8,000-meter course in a personal best and school-record time of 23:28.9.
 
Third-year sophomore Abrielle Jirele just missed all-conference honors with a 15^th-place effort of 21:01.9, her second-fastest 6,000-meter time this fall.
 
South Dakota placed fifth in both team races as the men's squad received season bests from seven of the eight competing runners and seven of the 10 women that competed posted season best times on the very fast course where both individual champs set new Summit League records.
 
The women's team, scoring 139 points, placed five runners in the top 40 of the race as fourth-year junior Ella Byers was the second Coyote across the finish line posting a personal best of 21:23.7, good for 23^rd place.
 
Third-year sophomore Abbie Schmidt shaved 35 seconds off her collegiate best while crossing the line with a 35^th-place effort of 22:06.4. Fourth-year junior Helen Gould was 37^th in 22:11.9 while third-year sophomore Renee Thompson rounded out the scoring five with her season best of 22:13.9 and 38^th place.
 
The Coyotes' sixth and seventh runners on Saturday were fourth-year sophomore Haley Miller and sophomore Alyssa Gerth, both posting personal best times during the meet. Miller placed 52^nd in 22:33.50 while Gerth was 61^st in 23:04.50.
 
On the men's side, sophomore Madison Sindelar and fourth-year junior Charlie Babcock both ran personal bests in an extremely fast race. Sindelar placed 20^th in 24:04.7 while Babcock crossed the line in 32^nd place with a time of 24:30.5.
 
Sophomore Riley Ruhaak and freshman Daniel Ayoroa were the final two scorers for the Coyotes as Ruhaak placed 41^st in a personal best 25:06.9 and Ayoroa was 44^th in a collegiate best of 25:18.8.
 
Freshman Seth Fey and junior John Swotek also posted season best times during the race as Fey crossed in 50^th place in 25:28.7 and Swotek was 53^rd in 25:48.1.
 
North Dakota State women and South Dakota State men earned Summit League titles on the day while the Jackrabbits had both individual champions. Leah Hansen earned a three-peat on the women's side and Ben Olson snagged his first Summit League cross country title in the men's race.
 
The Coyotes will next toe the line at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Columbia, Missouri on Friday, November 11.