STURGIS, S.D. – The Black Hills State University men's and women's cross country programs opened up the 2024 season on Friday, September 6, as they hosted the ninth annual Gage McSpadden Memorial Invite. Both teams collected top-3 finishes in the races held at the Fort Meade Recreation Area in Sturgis, South Dakota, as the women's program posted a second place finish with 53 points while the men's program was third with 67 points. In total the Yellow Jackets saw three of their runners finish within the top-10 of their respect races as Gavin Kuhlenbeck led the way on the men's side with a second place finish, and on the women's side Sylvia Brown paced the team with a fifth place finish while Emma Hofmeister was close behind with an eighth place finish.
 
The No. 18 Colorado Christian men's program and the No. 18 Colorado Christian women's program swept the team titles on the evening with 21 and 17 points respectively. In the men's 6K race, CCU's Matthew Storer ran to a victory with a time of 18:29.19 as he was among seven Cougars in the top-10. In the women's 4K race, CCU's Shannon King ran to a victory with a time of 14:47.36 as the Cougars swept the top-4 place finishers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

• Leading the way for the Black Hills State men's cross country program as the lone top-10 runner was Charleston Southern transfer, Gravin Kuhlenbeck. In his debut in the Green & Gold he ran to his fifth career top-10 finish with a career-best finish of second place as he crossed the line with a 6K time of 18:51.43.
• Just outside of the top-10 for the Yellow Jackets was Turner Christians, who matched his career-best finish of 12^th place which also occurred at last year's Gage McSpadden Memorial, and earned a career-best 6K time of 19:18.01.
• Third in the team lineup was Dominic Eberlee, a freshman making his collegiate debut with a time of 19:29.46 for a 17^th place finish.
• Running neck-and-neck with one another to round out the team scoring for BHSU was David Standish and Braik Hurm. Standish ended the day with a career-best 6K time of 19:47.42 for 28^th place, while just half a second behind him was Hurm who also set a career-best 6K mark of 19:48.0 for a 29^th place finish.
• A pair of Black Hills State seniors were the next to cross the finish line as Marcos Valerio and Addison Red Fox finished 37^th and 38^th respectively. Valerio posted a time of 20:03.13 to open the season, while Red Fox secured a career-best 6K time of 20:06.92.
• Close behind Valerio and Red Fox where a pair of Yellow Jacket freshmen making their collegiate debuts as Landrum Wiley collected a 41^st place finish with a time of 20:19.23 and Nathan Martin crossed the line 43^rd with a time of 20:38.38.
• Caden Strasser was next to cross the finish line as he notched a time of 20:52.13 for 50^th place.
• Rounding out the Black Hills State runners in the season opener were another pair of freshmen making their collegiate debuts, as Drew Lehman ran to a 56^th place finish with a time of 21:07.40 and Alex Traux with a 64^th place finish and time of 21:56.87.

BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
 

Place	Name	Time	Points
2.	Gavin Kuhlenbeck	18:51.43	2
12.	Turner Christians	19:18.01	11
17.	Dominic Eberle	19:29.46	13
28.	David Standish	19:47.42	20
29.	Braik Hurm	19:47.92	21
37.	Marcos Valerio	20:03.13	24
38.	Addison Red Fox	20:06.92	25
41.	Landrum Wiley	20:19.23
43.	Nathan Martin	20:38.38
50.	Caden Strasser	20:52.13
56.	Drew Lehman	21:07.40
64.	Alex Traux	21:56.87

 
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS

Team	Total Points	Team Scoring
1. #18 Colorado Christian	21	1-3-4-6-7-(8)-(9)
2. South Dakota Mines	56	5-10-12-14-15-(16)-(22)
3. Black Hills State	67	2-11-13-20-21-(24)-(25)
4. Chadron State	118	17-19-23-29-30
5. Dickinson State	130	18-26-27-28-31-(32)

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

• Black Hills State saw a pair of runners finish inside the top-10 in the women's race and was led by returning national qualifier Sylvia Brown who notched a fifth place finish, her seventh career top-5 mark, with a 4K time of 15:09.30. Brown was followed by freshman Emma Hofmeister, who started her collegiate career with a time of 15:18.79 for an eighth place finish.
• Just outside of the top-10 was Evelyn Boyd and Gracie Craig with 11^th and 12^th place finishes respectively. Boyd secured a career-best 4K time of 15:31.06, while Craig began her collegiate career with a time of 15:32.23.
• Alexis Weiers rounded out the team scoring for BHSU as she ran to a career-best 4K time of 15:49.34 and a 17^th place finish. Running closely behind her was a pack of four Yellow Jackets as Sierra Hopp (15:52.50), Alyssa Brandt (15:56.57), Katelyn Krieger (16:07.69), and Norah Entzi (16:08.49) occupied 19^th-22^nd respectively. Hopp, Krieger, and Entzi each earned career-best 4K times, while Brandt made her collegiate debut in the race.
• The next pair of BHSU runners to cross the finish line was Abigail Robberson and Emma Smith. Robberson posted a career-best 4K time of 16:37.28 for a 31^st place finish, while Smith made her collegiate debut with a 32^nd place finish and time of 16:48.97.
• Rounding out the Black Hills State runners in the season opener was Jillian Brennan who posted a time of 17:13.51 for 39^th place.

BLACK HILLS STATE WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Place	Name	Time	Points
5.	Sylvia Brown	15:09.30	5
8.	Emma Hofmeister	15:18.79	8
11.	Evelyn Boyd	15:31.06	11
12.	Gracie Craig	15:32.23	12
17.	Alexis Weiers	15:49.34	17
19.	Sierra Hopp	15:52.50	19
20.	Alyssa Brandt	15:56.57	20
21.	Katelyn Krieger	16:07.69
22.	Norah Entzi	16:08.49
31.	Abigail Robberson	16:37.28
32.	Emma Smith	16:48.97
39.	Jillian Brennan	17:13.51

 
WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS

Team	Total Points	Team Scoring
1. #18 Colorado Christian	17	1-2-3-4-7-(13)-(18)
2. Black Hills State	53	5-8-11-12-17-(19)-(20)
3. South Dakota Mines	73	6-9-14-21-23-(24)-(30)
4. Chadron State	88	10-15-16-22-25-(29)-(31)
5. (RV) Dickinson State	146	26-27-28-32-33-(34)

 
UP NEXT
Black Hills State will have one more meet in the month of September, when in two weeks they travel north to Medora, North Dakota, for the Blue Hawk Invitational. The event hosted by Dickinson State University on Saturday, September 21, will begin at 12 p.m. with the women's race and will be followed by the men's race at 12:40 p.m. to close out the day.