VERMILLION, S.D. ­— After two weeks of no competition, the South Dakota cross country team is ready for their second race of the season, this time gearing up for a challenge at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo. Friday morning.
 
MEET INFO
The Gans Creek Classic is scheduled for the early morning Friday with Gold (Invite) and Black (Open) races. The women's races are scheduled for 8 a.m. (Gold) and 9:45 a.m. (Black), and the men races are scheduled for 8:45 a.m. (Gold) and 10:30 a.m. (Black) at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
 
The women will run two 3k loops for a 6k and the men will run a 2k loop followed by two 3k's for their 8k distance. Live results will be tracked and posted by PrimeTime Timing and races will be live streamed on SEC Network Plus.
 
THE YOTES
The first race of the season as a successful one for USD, winning both the individual races and the women's team title at the Augustana Twilight. Both the individual race winners, Geneva Timmerman for the women and Isaac Ochoa for the men, won awards for their performances. Timmerman earned Summit League Peak Performer of the Week and Ochoa was the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.
 
Both teams had strong overall performances with each teams scoring five placing inside the top 15. That has placed both the Coyote men and women in the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings, with the women ranking 10^th in the Midwest and the men ranking 15^th.
 
YOTES AT GANS CREEK
South Dakota last race at Gans Creek was the 2024 Gans Creek Classic. This is the fourth time running at Gans Creek and third time running in the Gans Creek Classic for the Coyotes.
 
Coyote women on the 2026 roster who have USD Top 10 times at Gans Creek including Madison Brouwer (3^rd: 21:21.3), Alexis Pagel (5^th: 21:48.6), Mariah Fenske (7^th: 22:20.1), and Peyton Svehla (9^th: 22:27.6). The program best at Gans Creek was ran by Abrielle Jirele in 2022, when she ran 20:54.6.
 
For the Coyote men, there is a strong group with familiarity on the 8k course in Columbia. There were four current Coyotes who set USD Top 10 times in 2024: Natnael Kifle (3^rd: 24:39.7), Isaac Ochoa (4^th: 24:44.8), Piercze Marshall (5^th: 25:07.4), and Trevor Thomsen (6^th: 25:09.0). The program 8k best at Gans Creek is held by Merga Gemeda, who ran 24:05.5 in 2022.

COYOTES FROM MISSOURI
Two Coyote men will race in their home state Friday morning. Sophomore Jack Williams, in his first season with the Yotes after spending his freshman year at Northwest Missouri State, and freshman Landon Wegleitner are both from Lee's Summit, Missouri and competed for Lee's Summit West High School. This will be both runner's first collegiate race at Gans Creek.

 
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