October 9, 2026

THIS WEEK
MADISON, S.D. - The Dakota State University women's and men's cross-country teams return to Sioux Center, Iowa, for the second time this season on Saturday morning. The Trojans compete in three different races, starting at 9:40 a.m. with the women's 6K Gold Division, followed by men's 8K race Gold Division at 10:25 a.m.  DSU will also run in the men's 8K Black Division at 11:40 a.m.  The cross-country meet is being hosted by Dordt (Iowa), with the women's squad ranked No. 1 and the men's team ranked No. 18 in the latest NAIA Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 poll.

The cross-country races will be on live webcast via Dordt Defender Network.  Dakota Timing will provide the live results of the races at Dordt Cross Country Course.  A total of 16 schools from mainly Great Plains Athletic Conference and several NCAA schools are scheduled to compete in the meet.

LAST TIME OUT
Dakota State University's women's cross-country team competed in its third meet of the 2026 season at the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 25 at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Trojans finished 14th out of 20 teams with 402 points in the 6-kilometer race. Rogers State (Okla.) captured the team championship with 81 points, followed by Black Hills State (S.D.) with 86 points.  The Trojans highlighted by Valerija Curikova with a new DSU school record 6K time in the race, along with four other runners making their mark in the school's Top 30 times.

Dakota State's men's cross country team also competed in the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 25, placing 14th out of 19 teams with 442 points. The Trojans' five scoring runners combined for a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 28 seconds, averaging 26:53 in their first 8-kilometer race of the season. TayShaun Cudmore led Dakota State in a competitive field featuring nearly 300 runners from NCAA Division II and NAIA programs. Nationally ranked NCAA Division II Washburn (Kan.) won the team championship with 54 points, followed by Nebraska-Kearney with 62 and host Augustana with 67.

CURIKOVA SET SCHOOL RECORD, FOUR OTHER RUNNERS PLACE IN DSU SCHOOL RECORD TOP 30 TIMES
Dakota State University's women's cross-country team had five runners establish marks among the program's all-time Top 30 fastest 6-kilometer performances at the Augustana (S.D.) Invitational on Sept. 25 at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Valerija Curikova highlighted the Trojans' performances by breaking her own school record with a time of 21 minutes, 48.4 seconds, surpassing her previous mark of 21:57.9 set in 2023. Curikova now owns four of the six fastest women's 6K times in program history.

Anna Schneider recorded a personal best time of 23:28.0, ranking 11th all-time, while Kierra Miller clocked the 16th-fastest time in school history at 23:44.6. Jewel Gannon added the 19th-fastest time at 24:00.3, followed by Talya Vincent, who registered the 29th-fastest time in program history at 24:56.6.
 
2026 DAKOTA STATE CROSS COUNTRY TOP TIMES
Women's (6K)

• Valerija Curikova – 21 minutes, 48.4 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Anna Schneider – 23 minutes, 28 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Kierra Miller – 23 minutes, 44.6 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Jewel Gannon – 24 minutes, .3 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Talya Vincent – 24 minutes, 56.6 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Erin Harms – 26 minutes, 1.9 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25

Men's (8K)

• TayShaun Cudmore – 26 minutes, 40.3 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Benjamin Strunk – 26 minutes, 46.3 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Brendan Gillaspie – 26 minutes, 55.5 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Evan Armstrong – 27 minutes, 6.3 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Finley McConniel – 27 minutes, 7.5 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Joshua Tucker – 27 minutes, 19 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Holden Jelen – 27 minutes, 22.8 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Baylor Burns – 27 minutes, 34.9 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Jonah Thiele – 27 minutes, 36.2 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Tyler Nicke – 27 minutes, 37 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Spencer Olsen – 28 minutes, 23.1 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Jeremy Feistner – 28 minutes, 35.6 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Grayson Madsen – 29 minutes, 14.4 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Reese Henrie – 29 minutes, 18.8 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Ben Gerlach – 30 minutes, 9.8 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Kaiden Akey – 32 minutes, 31.7 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25

UP NEXT
Dakota State closes their regular season schedule on Oct. 24 as they head to Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb.  The Trojans run in the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic, hosted by Doane (Neb.) and College of Saint Mary (Neb.).  The women's race kicks off at 10 a.m., followed by the men's race at 10:45 a.m.