November 5, 2026

THIS WEEK
MADISON, S.D. - The Dakota State University women's and men's cross-country squads return to Amend Park in Billings, Mont. as they prepare for the 2026 Frontier Conference Championships Friday.  The men's 8K race is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. (Central Time)/10:30 a.m. (Mountain Time), followed by the women's 6K race at 12:30 p.m. (CT)/11:30 a.m. (MT).

Rocky Mountain (Mont.) is the host for the cross-country conference championships before the next cross-country championships head to Valley City, N.D. in 2027 and 2028.

LAST TIME OUT
Dakota State (S.D.) concluded its 2026 regular-season schedule at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic on Oct. 24 at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb. Kierra Miller paced the Trojans in the 6-kilometer race, finishing 90th overall in 24 minutes, 33 seconds among 335 runners. Anna Schneider followed in 104th place with a time of 24:49, while Jewel Gannon rounded out DSU's runners in 178th place with a time of 25:55.

The Trojan men's team placed 16th at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic. DSU competed against a competitive field of 412 runners in the 8-kilometer race. TayShaun Cudmore led DSU with a 78th-place finish in 26 minutes, 35 seconds. Finley McConniel followed in 105th place with a season-best time of 27:04, while Tyler Nicke placed 134th in 27:27. Joshua Tucker finished 145th in 27:32, followed by Lane Henrichs in 151st in 27:37. Benjamin Strunk (161st, 27:42) and Brendan Gillaspie (173rd, 27:51) completed Dakota State's seven runners. The Trojans' top five combined for a time of 2:16:18, averaging 27:16 per runner.

2026 FRONTIER CONFERENCE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
A total of 11 Frontier Conference schools is set to compete in the 2026 cross country championships Friday in Billings, Mont.  This is the second straight year that Rocky Mountain (Mont.) will host the expanded league cross country championship meet.

The awards ceremony will take place following the conclusion of the women's race.  Awards will be presented at the ceremony for each gender, including the team champion, All-Conference (top 15 place finishers), Runner-of-the-Year, Pepsi Coach-of-the-Year, Champions of Character, and GRIT award.

Rocky Mountain, the preseason men's cross-country favorite to win the league title, enters the championship seeking their second consecutive Frontier Conference title after capturing the 2025 team championship at the same course. Rocky Mountain totaled 38 points last season, ending Carroll's streak of four consecutive conference championships.  Bellevue (Neb.) was third, followed by Montana Tech fourth, and Dakota State fifth. 

Frontier Conference women's defending conference champion Carroll (Mont.) enters the meet seeking its sixth Frontier Conference women's cross-country championship in seven years. The Fighting Saints captured the 2025 conference title with 58 points, edging runner-up Montana Tech by seven points.  Rocky Mountain was third, followed by Dakota State fourth.
The team winner in each gender will represent the Frontier Conference at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships at Fort Vancouver Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash., on Friday, Nov. 20.

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, 29.3 seconds – Dordt (Iowa) Holiday Inn Express Classic – Oct. 10
• 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
• Lane Henrichs – 27 minutes, .3 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Evan Armstrong – 27 minutes, 6.3 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25
• Finley McConniel – 27 minutes, 4.6 seconds – Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic – Oct. 24
• 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, 2.2 seconds – Dordt (Iowa) Holiday Inn Express Classic – Oct. 10
• Spencer Olsen – 28 minutes, 2.8 seconds – Dordt (Iowa) Holiday Inn Express Classic – Oct. 10
• 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, 4.7 seconds – Dordt (Iowa) Holiday Inn Express Classic – Oct. 10
• Kaiden Akey – 32 minutes, 31.7 seconds – Augustana (S.D.) Invitational – Sept. 25

UP NEXT
The 2026 NAIA Cross Country National Championships take place on Friday, Nov. 20 in Vancouver, Wash.  The site will be held at Fort Vancouver Historic State, hosted by Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC).