VERMILLION, S.D. ­— The Coyotes are making their return to the Augustana Twilight for the first time since 2023 Friday night, competing at the Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls to open the 2026 season.
 
South Dakota's women's team will run in the collegiate 5k at 8:45 p.m., followed by the men's 4-mile race at 9:15 p.m.. Live Results will be available on Dakota Timing.
 
THE COYOTES
South Dakota's men's and women's teams enter the 2026 season with a large returning core from last season and a strong group of newcomers hoping to make a splash.
 
The Coyote women were picked fourth in the Summit League preseason poll Wednesday, with 2025 Summit League First Teamer Geneva Timmerman and sophomore returner Drew Beason as the runners to watch.
 
The Coyote men were picked in a tie for fourth in the conference preseason poll. The men's runners to watch are 2024 all-Summit League performers Natnael Kifle and Isaac Ochoa. While neither landed on the cross country all-conference lists last fall, both earned indoor all-conference honors in the spring and are looking to get back in the top 14 at the conference meet this fall.
 
USD AT YANKTON TRAIL PARK
South Dakota hasn't competed at the Yankton Trail Park since 2023 but has a lot of history at the course. USD competed at the Augustana Twilight every year from 2014-2023 except for 2015 and 2020.
 
The USD women's 5k record at the Yankton Trail Park is held by Abby Ripperda in 2019 at 16:47.07. Current Yote Madison Brouwer ran the 10^th fastest USD time at the course with a time of 17:52.97 as a freshman in 2023.
 
The USD men's 4-mile record at this course is held by Brant Haase, who ran 18:31.50 in 2014. No current Coyote has a top 10 mark at the Yankton Trail Park, but the target time for one of the Yote men to crack the top 10 on Friday is 19:42.39, currently held by Ryan Bauermeister in 2014.



 
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