Yellow Jackets Prepped for RMAC Cross Country Championships

SPEARFISH, S.D. – Two weeks following their biggest race of the season in terms of competition and size of the field, the Black Hills State men's and women's cross country teams now shift their focus to the RMAC Championships. The Yellow Jackets, who finished 21^st and 23^rd respectively at the Lewis Crossover last time out, saw their fair share of RMAC opponents in the meet in Illinois, and now they look to get the postseason portion of their season off to a quick start.

RACE DETAILS
Date & Times: Saturday, October 25 – women's 6K race will begin at 9:30 a.m. while the men's 8K race will begin at 10:15 p.m.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado – Monument Valley Park North

BLACK HILLS STATE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY STORYLINES

In their first two meets, the Black Hills State men's cross country team 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. During their last weekend of competition, they sent runners to the Yellowjackets/Battlin' Bears Open and then also recorded a 21^st place team finish with 493 points at the Lewis Crossover as they were amongst 36 teams competing and 12 nationally-ranked teams.
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. He secured a career-best 8K time of 25:33.02 for 11^th place at the Lewis Crossover in his last outing.
Turner Christians 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. He then broke his career-best 8K time once again in his last outing, posting a time of 25:40.59 for 125^th place at the Lewis Crossover.
Dominic Eberle 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. In his most recent outing at the Lewis Crossover, he finished 192^nd with an 8K time of 26:08. 68.
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 8K time of 26:02.49 for 29^th at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational. He added another career-best 8K time of 25:24.14 as he moved up to second in the team lineup and secured a top-100 finish at the Lewis Crossover in a field of 385 runners, posting a 94^th place finish.
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. At the Lewis Crossover he was 177^th with a time of 26:01.85.
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. In his last outing at the Lewis Crossover, he crossed the finish line 230^th for a time of 26:29.30 in the 8K.
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. In his last outing he ran to a career-best 8K time of 25:58.06 for 167^th place at the Lewis Crossover.
Freshman Sean Ship has made three 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 and a top-15 finish as he crossed the finish line 13^th at the Yellowjackets/Battlin' Bears Invitational for an 8K time of 25:59.7.
Anthony Ackerman will make his third 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 and then posting a 22^nd place finish and time of 26:23.9 in the 8K race at the Yellowjackets/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

Anthony Ackerman, Turner Christians, Dominic Eberle, Wyatt Ostler, Thomas Oylear, Sean Shipp, 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. In a field of 36 teams overall and nine nationally-ranked teams, the Yellow Jackets finished 23^rd at the Lewis Crossover with 587 team points. Also competing at the Yellowjacket' Battlin' Bears Open a few weeks ago, BHSU finished in a tie for fifth as a team with 139 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. She added a top-60 finish in a field of 336 runners at the Lewis Crossover, turning in a season-best 6K time of 22:31.23 for 53^rd place.
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. In her last outing she ran to a season-best 6K time of 22:56.95 as she secured a top-100 finish at the Lewis Crossover, crossing the finish line 89^th overall.
Abigail Robberson is coming off a 190^th place finish and a season-best 6K time of 24:02.63 at the Lewis Crossover. Prior to that she recorded a top-30 finish in Lincoln with a 28^th place result and 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. In her most recent outing she moved up to third on the team scoring as she finished 141^st in a field of 336 athletes at the Lewis Crossover, turning in a 6K time of 23:28.35.
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. Then in her most recent outing and first career 6K race, she ran to a time of 24:19.27 for 214^th place at the Lewis Crossover.
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. She then secured a season-best 6K time of 23:40.63 for 154^th place at the Lewis Crossover.
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. In her most recent outing at the Lewis Crossover she ran to a 224^th place finish and a season-best 6K time of 24:35.89.
Freshman Ava Allen 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. In her last outing she than notched a top-5 finish with a fourth place time of 22:55.6 in her first career 6K at the Yellowjackets/Battlin' Bears Open.
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. In her last outing she ran to a career-best 6K time of 24:29.4 for 26^th place at the Yellowjackets/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.