For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Molly Montonye
Junior
Graceville, Minn.
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley HS
MSU Moorhead

Molly Montonye won the Randy Smith Invitational in a time of 17:19:52 as she helped the Dragons to a second place team finish in the six team field.  She picked up her third career win with her personal best time.   The race was run at the Ponderosa Golf Course near Glyndon, Minn.

NSIC Team Notes

Augustana
The No. 6 Vikings were idle last week.
Up Next: Roy Griak Invitational hosted by University of Minnesota (9/27)

Bemidji State
Emily Turner (Windom, Minn.) Randy Smith Invitational, Glyndon, Minn.
- Turned in a 19:23 and placed 21st individually to lead the BSU cross country team Friday in the 5K race
- Trimmed 47 seconds from her 2013 Randy Smith Invite time
- Was the top BSU finisher and led the team to sixth place
BSU returns to action Sept. 27 when it travels to St. Paul, Minn. To participate in the University of Minnesota’s Roy Griak Invitational.

Concordia-St. Paul
Maggie Marcus placed 24th place in a time of 20:12.5 at the 43rd Annual All-American Invite hosted by Luther College.
– sets a new Concordia course record for the Luther All-American Invite.
- ran a personal best time improving her 5K time by 57.5 seconds from her time on the same course two years ago.  
Next action: at Roy Griak Invitational, Sept. 27

University of Mary
The No. 23 Marauders won the Randy Smith Invitational to open the season
- Placed five runners in the top ten, including three freshmen
- Freshman Alexis Zeiss (Bismarck, N.D.) placed third in her first collegiate race to pace the Marauders with a time of 17:28.6
- U-Mary scored 30 points to edge out host MSU Moorhead (34)

Minnesota Duluth
The No. 4 Bulldogs open their season on Saturday at the St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield, Minn.

Minnesota State
The Mavericks did not compete this weekend. Next action for the Mavericks is Saturday at the St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield, Minn.

MSU Moorhead
Molly Montonye (Jr., Graceville, Minn./Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley HS)
--Won the 5K Randy Smith Invitational for third career meet win
--Recorded winning time of 17:19.52, which was 46 secodns than her time last year
--Time was a personal-best
--Helped MSUM to second place finish at meet.
Next action: at Roy Griak Invitational, Sept. 27

Minot State
The Beavers were idle last week.
Up Next: Roy Griak Invitational hosted by University of Minnesota (9/27)

Northern State
The Wolves were idle last week.
Up Next: Roy Griak Invitational hosted by University of Minnesota (9/27)

Sioux Falls
The Cougars were idle last week.
Up Next: Saturday, Sept. 20 at the St. Olaf (Minn.) Invitational.

Southwest Minnesota State
Freshman Savannah Ramirez (Litchfield, Minn.) led SMSU with a 14th place finish out of 107 runners at the Border Battle Invite hosted by Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis., this past Saturday. Ramirez finished the 5k race with a time of 20:23 to help the Mustangs finish fourth out of 11 teams.
Up Next: The Mustangs travel to South Dakota State on October 4.

St. Cloud State
- The St. Cloud State women’s cross country team will open its season on Sept. 20 with a trip to the St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield, Minn.
- The Huskies will be led this season by third-year head coach Eric Hanenberger.
-SCSU will host the Bob Waxlax Invitational on Oct. 24.  The race will be run on a course at the Wapicada G.C. in nearby Sauk Rapds.  The race is named in honor of the Huskies’ former track and field and cross country coach.
-The Huskies will return a solid core of veterans in 2014 including Jessie Hubley, Rachel Sakry, Tristan Sproul, Lindsay Stassen and Samantha Sunstrom.

Upper Iowa
Hallie Whitley (5-4, Fr., Olympia, Wash./North Thurston HS)
•    Placed 12th at first collegiate event at Central Missouri’s Mule Run
•    Earned 10 points for Upper Iowa
•    Finished 4K Mule Run in 15:30.21
Team
•    Peacocks placed 10th out of 15 teams with a total of 235 points at Central Missouri’s Mule Run
•    Team posted a total time of 1:23:49.57 and an average of 16:45.92 for the four-mile run
•    Sophomore Mekenzie Coppage posted a time of 16:56.74, while freshman Courtney Carroll finished her run in 17:00.32
•    Sophomores Bethani Jacobsen and Chandra Smith closed out the Peacocks’ scoring five with times of 17:02.01 and 17:20.27, respectively
•    The Peacocks will head to Minneapolis, Minn. on Sept. 27 for the Roy Griak Invite hosted by the University of Minnesota at 9 a.m.

Wayne State
The Wildcats were idle last week.
Up Next: Roy Griak Invitational hosted by University of Minnesota (9/27)

Winona State
Jordan Skelly (Sr., Buffalo, Minn.)
-    Led the way for the No. 10 Warriors’ second title in as many weekends, finishing second overall at the 5K Wisconsin-Parkside Midwest Open with a time of 18:21.4 – just a second away from winning the meet.
The Warriors are off next week as they prepare for the St. Mary’s No Limit Invitational on September 26.

Past NSIC Women’s CC Athletes of the Week
9/9/14: Sasha Hovind, Northern State
9/16/14: Molly Montonye, MSU Moorhead

NSIC Cross Country Championship
NSIC Cross Country teams will compete in various meets throughout the fall with the season culminating in Wayne, Neb. on Saturday, November 8 at the NSIC Cross Country Championships.  The NCAA Regional will take place two weeks later on Saturday, November 22 again in Wayne, Neb. The NCAA DII National Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, December 6 at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky. in conjunction  with the NCAA Fall Sports Festival.