SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—South Dakota fifth-year senior Merga Gemeda and sixth-year senior Abby Ripperda have been selected as Summit League Preseason Runners to Watch.
 
Gemeda, a two-time all-Summit honoree, led the Coyotes at the first five meets of the regular season in 2021 prior to a season-ending injury. He was named the Summit's cross country runner of the week five times during the season to tie the league record. Gemeda clocked the league's fastest 8,000-meter time last fall with a mark of 24:23.7 at Nebraska's Woody Greeno Invitational. He's been amongst USD's scorers for every race he's finished since his freshman year.
 
Ripperda, a two-time all-Summit pick, led the Coyotes at the Summit League Championships a year ago with an eighth-place finish in 21:56.14 for the 6,000-meter course. She became the third Coyote woman to garner all-Midwest Region honors in 2019. Ripperda has finished among USD's scorers at every meet she's competed in since the start of the 2019 season.
 
In the Summit League Men's and Women's Cross Country Preseason Polls also announced Tuesday, South Dakota was picked third on the women's side and fifth on the men's side in head coach Nolan Fife's first season at the helm. South Dakota won five-straight women's titles from 2014-18.

The Coyotes' season gets underway Friday at the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls.
 
2022 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
 

	Team	Score (1st place votes)
1.	South Dakota State	49 (7)
2.	North Dakota State	37
3.	St. Thomas	36
4.	North Dakota	33 (1)
5.	South Dakota	30
6.	Kansas City	15
7.	Western Illinois	13
8.	Oral Roberts	11

 
2022 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
 

	Team	Score (1st place votes)
1.	South Dakota State	64 (8)
2.	North Dakota State	56 (1)
3.	South Dakota	47
4.	North Dakota	42
5.	St. Thomas	40
6.	Kansas City	25
7.	Omaha	20
8.	Western Illinois	17
9.	Oral Roberts	13