Despite the difficulties in 2020 brought on by COVID-19, the Black Hills State University Cross Country team has still managed a strong season.

The BHSU cross country team holds exemplary student-athletes who dedicate themselves both in competition and in the classroom.

Academic Success
Of the 22 student-athletes between both the men's and women's teams, 15 have cumulative GPAs over 3.0., including all nine women sitting above 3.2.

In terms of meeting qualifications to be eligible for RMAC All-Academic, seven would qualify. Among those qualifiers are Erica Dykstra (3.53 GPA, Business Administration), Mayson Hudyma (3.69, Psychology), Taylor Lundquist (3.89, Exercise Science), Allison Rief (3.78, Physical Education) and Xiomara Robinson (3.73, Biology/Chemistry) for the women.

On the men's side, Keith Osowski (3.89, Chemistry) and Matt Parker (3.52, Elementary Education) qualified.

Other notables include Collin Brauer (3.71 GPA, Exercise Science), Nolan Maher (4.00, Physical Science), and Ryan Raffery (3.81) on the men's side and freshmen Sylvia Brown and Timothy Brown who each currently hold a 4.00 in their first season, as well as freshman Morgan Wald with a 3.60.

On top of stellar academics, BHSU made the most out of the two lone events of the year, making some noise at the Gage McSpadden memorial on Sept. 18 and the RMAC Championship on Oct. 24.

Gage McSpadden Memorial
Yellow Jackets Robinson and Osowski each placed first at the Gage McSpadden Memorial in the men's and women's races, respectively.

On the women's side, teammates Ruby Lindquist and Sylvia Brown finished second and third behind Robinson, while Rief placed fifth. For the men, Parker joined Osowski among top-five finishers, placing fourth.
RMAC Championship
At the conference championships, Robinson led the way again with a 14th-place finish, earning First Team All-RMAC and helping the BHSU women take seventh. Following Robinson, Brown placed 31st, Lindquist 32nd, Rief 59th and Lundquist 63rd to accrue scores. Hudyma finished 66th, Wald 79th and Dykstra 84th, rounding out the women finishers.

Osowski was first across the finish line for the men in 44th, followed by Parker (48th), Brauer (66th), Timothy Brown (70th), Noah Bordewyk (74th), Marcos Valeria (88th), Addison Red Fox (90th), Lincoln Fleischman (95th) and Wyatt Dooley (99th).

What's to Come
The men's and women's team each had strong years despite neither having a senior on the roster. All 22 student-athletes, 13 men and nine women, will be eligible to return and further build on their successful 2020 season.