PEORIA, Ill.—Seventh-year senior Abby Ripperda led the South Dakota to a runner-up team finish at the Bradley Pink Classic held Friday afternoon at Newman Golf Course.
 
The Coyote women were edged out by Summit League foe North Dakota State, 126 to 127, in the team title race. Among the teams that South Dakota defeated are Central Michigan (No. 12 in Great Lakes), Oakland (No. 15 in Great Lakes), Wichita State (No. 10 in Midwest), Northwestern (No. 3 in Midwest), Illinois State (No. 11 in Midwest), Drake (No. 6 in Midwest), Southern Illinois and Iowa.
 
Ripperda, a Sioux Falls native, raced into the chute in fourth place individually. She recorded a personal best 6,000-meter time of 20:48.90, a second faster on the course than her Bradley Classic meet-winning time from 2019. Ripperda was the top Summit finisher in Peoria.
 
Joining Ripperda in the lead pack early in the race were teammates Madison Brouwer and Abrielle Jirele. Brouwer, a freshman from Sibley, Iowa, placed 11th in the field with a time of 21:17.20. She dropped more than a minute off her time from the Griak three weeks ago. Jirele, a fourth-year junior hailing from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, crossed the finish line in 19th. She clocked a season-best time of 21:34.40.
 
Fifth-year senior Ella Byers put it into gear through the final two kilometers, passing 11 runners down the stretch to finish in 28th. A native of Chamberlain, South Dakota, she clocked a season-best time of 21:48.60.
 
Rounding out the Coyote scorers was freshman Alexis Pagel (Chandler, Arizona) in 74th place, crossing the finish line in 22:25.40. She put the petal down in the second half of the race and improved 50 spots in the last 3,000 meters to help the Coyotes' team score.
 
Fifth-year senior Haley Miller and fourth-year junior Abbie Schmidt were the Coyote pushers on Friday. Miller covered the course in 23:03.40 and Schmidt clocked 23:24.90.
 
As a fun statistical side note, the Coyotes' lone Bradley Pink Classic title came during Ripperda's freshman season in 2017. That race was also held on Friday the 13th of October.
 
South Dakota's men were led by sophomore Carson Lauterbach out of Lincoln, Nebraska. He finished 95th in the field, covering the 8,000-meter course in a season-best time of 25:38.6.
 
Junior Mason Sindelar from Pierce, Nebraska, took 124th in a season-best time of 25:55.1.
 
Also finishing among the Coyote scorers were Vermillion native Riley Ruhaak alongside Seth Fey and Piercze Marshall out of Omaha, Nebraska. Fey, a sophomore, took 154th in 26:19.7. Ruhaak was 163rd in 26:23.5 and Marshall was 197th in 27:03.0.
 
Senior John Swotek and freshman Grant Dixon were sixth and seventh on the squad. Swotek clocked 27:06.8 and Dixon finished the race in 27:15.3.
 
The Coyote men finished 24th in the team race with 687 points. Former Summit League rival IUPUI captured the men's team title.
 
South Dakota will send a small contingent of athletes to the Mt. Marty Invitational on Oct. 21 in Yankton, South Dakota. The Summit League Championships are slated for Oct. 28 in Brookings, South Dakota.