SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University men's and women's cross country teams will be on the road in two different time zones this weekend, first at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Open in Billings, Montana, on Friday, October 10, and then at the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois, on Saturday, October 11. The Lewis Crossover will host one of the biggest NCAA Division II meets of the season with teams arriving from across the country. The No. 8 team in the South Central Region, the Yellow Jacket men, will face a dozen top-30 nationally ranked teams as they look to prepare themselves for the postseason.
 
YELLOWJACKET/BATTLIN' BEARS OPEN RACE DETAILS
Date & Times: Friday, October 10 – women's 6K race will begin at 12 p.m. while the men's 8K race will begin at 12:45 p.m.
Location: Billings, Montana – Amend Park
 
LEWIS CROSSOVER RACE DETAILS
Date & Times: Saturday, October 11 – women's 6K race will begin at 8:45 a.m. MT / 9:45 a.m. CT while the men's 8K race will begin at 9:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. CT
Location: Romeoville, Illinois – Lewis Cross Country Course
 
BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY STORYLINES

• In two meets the Black Hills State men's cross country team has posted a pair of top-5 finishes, first a victory at the Gage McSpadden Memorial where they tallied 31 team points and then at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational they placed fourth with 103 team points.
• Gavin Kuhlenbeck has notched back-to-back individual titles to begin the 2025 season, first starting the year with a career-best 6K time of 18:37.7 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial and then turned in an 8K time of 24:50.06 to cross the line first in the gold race of the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational. Following his win at the Nebraska hosted Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, he was voted the RMAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week on September 24.
• Jaxon Straus started the season with his first career top-5 finish, crossing the finish line fourth with a career-best 6K time of 19:00.9 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial. He then turned in a 50^th place finish and an 8K time of 26:23.79 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Turner Christians has secured a pair of top-20 finishes to begin the season, first starting the year with a 6K time of 19:18.4 for 11^th at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, and then went on to a career-best 8K time of 25:42.18 for 16^th place at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Dominic Eberle has also posted a pair of top-20 finishes to start the 2025 season, starting the year with a 12^th place finish and a career-best 6K time of 19:24.7 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, followed by an 18^th place finish and 8K time of 25:43.86 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Landrum Wiley began his sophomore season with his first career top-10, crossing the finish line sixth with a career-best 6K time of 19:11.0 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, and then he added a top-30 finish and career-best 8K time of 26:02.49 for 29^th at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Thomas Oylear kicked off his freshman campaign with a top-15 finish at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, notching a 6K time of 19:29.3, while he then went on to a 41^st place finish and an 8K time of 26:14.07 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Wyatt Ostler began the season by setting a new career-best 6K time of 19:46.5 for 31^st place at the Gage McSpadden Memorial and then added another career-best with an 8K time of 26:16.07 for 46^th at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Another freshman making an early impact, Emmett Swartzentruber started of his career in the Green & Gold with a 19^th place finish and 6K time of 19:31.1 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial. He then followed up his opening performance with a 47^th place finish and an 8K time of 26:17.67 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Freshman Jonah Rigg will make his season appearance of the season and will look to follow up a top-10 finish at the Gage McSpadden Memorial where he clocked a 6K time of 19:15.3 for ninth place.
• Freshman Sean Ship has made two appearances as a Yellow Jacket, beginning his collegiate career with a 33^rd place and 6K time of 19:49.9 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial. He then followed it up with a top-10 8K time of 26:19.5 for seventh place at the Blue Hawks Invitational.
• Anthony Ackerman will make his second appearance of his freshman campaign after starting the season with 26^th place finish and 6K time of 19:42.4 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial.
• Alberto Spotted has made two appearances thus far in his junior season, beginning with a 45^th place finish and career-best 6K time of 20:25.0 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, followed by a top-20 finish and an 8K time of 27:24.8 for 16^th place at the Blue Hawks Invitational.
• Casey Nauta will make his Yellow Jacket debut at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Open.
• Brian Medigovich is in his fifth season leading the Yellow Jacket cross country programs as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. 

BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S RUNNERS AT THE YELLOWJACKET/BATTLIN' BEARS OPEN

• Anthony Ackerman, Casey Nauta, Jonah Rigg, Sean Shipp, and Alberto Spotted

BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S RUNNERS AT THE LEWIS CROSSOVER

• Turner Christians, Dominic Eberle, Gavin Kuhlenbeck, Wyatt Ostler, Thomas Oylear, Jaxon Straus, Emmett Swartzentruber, and Landrum Wiley 

BLACK HILLS STATE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY STORYLINES

• Black Hills State opened the season with a second place team finish at the Gage McSpadden Memorial Invite, totaling 45 team points in the race, and then added a third place finish in the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, totaling 115 team points.
• After earning her second career individual title with a career-best 4K time of 14:23.8 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, Evie Boyd added a career-best 5K time of 18:22.33 as she raced against 169 runners at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational. Her tenth place finish at the Nebraska hosted meet was her second top-10 of the season and the seventh of her career.
• Emma Hofmeister started the season with a top-10 and 4K time of 15:20.2 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial and followed it up with a 21^st place finish and a 5K time of 19:09.25 in her first career race at that distance.
• Abigail Robberson is coming off a top-30 finish in Lincoln during her last outing, finish 28^th with a career-best 5K time of 19:31.89. She opened the season with a career-best 4K time of 16:19.1 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial for 30^th place.
• Mason Berg has kicked-off her freshman campaign with back-to-back top-30 finishes, starting with a 19^th place finish and 4K time of 15:57.8 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, followed by a 29^th place finish and 5K time of 19:32.13 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Alyssa Brandt made her sophomore debut at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, posting a time of 19:53.14 in her first career 5K race at the collegiate level, finishing 42^nd overall in just her third career appearance in the Green & Gold.
• With back-to-back career-best times to start the season, Sierra Hopp began 2025 with a career-best 4K time of 15:32.3 for a tenth place finish at the Gage McSpadden Memorial and then notched a 35^th place finish and career-best 5K time of 19:36.89 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Beginning the year with a career-best 4K time of 15:30.5 for ninth place at the Gage McSpadden Memorial was Gracie Craig, she then followed it up by turning in a top-50 performance at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational as she clocked a 5K time of 19:56.84 for 48^th place.
• After beginning the season with a 39^th place finish and 4K time of 16:44.8, Katie Charest posted a 5K time of 20:04.96 for 56^th place at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Freshman Ava Allen has begun her Yellow Jacket career with a top-20 finish at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, running to a 4K time of 15:55.2, and then followed it with a 75^th place finish and 5K time of 20:31.39 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational.
• Kadence Baun kicked off her sophomore campaign with a 34^th place finish and 4K time of 16:27.7 and followed it with a 5K time of 20:53.2 and 85^th place finish at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in her first career races at the distances.
• Freshman Zena Tapia will make her third appearance in the Green & Gold on Friday, with her first two outings being a 46^th place finish and 4K time of 17:08.8 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial and a 33^rd place finish and 6K time of 26:18.0 at the Blue Hawk Invitational.
• Another freshman making her second appearance of the year is Jacey Wipf, who also competed at the Gage McSpadden Memorial, turning in a 49^th place finish and a 4K time of 17:43.4.
• Nicole Clark will make her Black Hills State debut on Friday afternoon at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Open.
• Brian Medigovich is in his fifth season leading the Yellow Jacket cross country programs as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country.

BLACK HILLS STATE WOMEN'S RUNNERS AT THE YELLOWJACKET/BATTLIN' BEARS OPEN

• Ava Allen, Kadence Baun, Nicole Clark, Zena Tapia, and Jacey Wipf

BLACK HILLS STATE WOMEN'S RUNNERS AT THE LEWIS CROSSOVER

• Mason Berg, Evie Boyd, Alyssa Brandt, Katie Charest, Gracie Craig, Emma Hofmeister, Sierra Hopp, and Abigail Robberson