2021 NSIC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll

8/23/2021 10:00:00 AM

AUGUSTANA TOPS NSIC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The defending champions (2019) of Augustana University were picked to win the NSIC in the preseason men's cross country coaches' poll. The Vikings, winners of 10 of the last 11 NSIC Championships, received all 13 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and tallied 169 points. The University of Mary was second with 144 points and the other first place vote. MSU Moorhead was third with 132 points while Minnesota State was fourth with 127 points.

Augustana's Alec Kray was voted as the NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year. Due to injury, Kray’s most recent cross country action came at the Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships in 2017 where he placed eighth in a time of 32:03.3. His highest placing conference race came in 2017 where he placed third in a time of 24:48 leading the Vikings to the NSIC title. In the 2021 indoor track season, Kray broke the school record in the 5,000m by eight seconds, running 14:10.51 at the Ichabod Invite. This past outdoor season, Kray became the first Viking to break 14:00 in the 5,000m when he won the Drake Relays seeded 5,000m running a new school record time of 13:56.24.

The 2021 NSIC cross country season gets underway on Friday, September 3 with the regular season culminating on Saturday, October 23 at the NSIC Cross Country Championship held in Wayne, Nebraska, hosted by Wayne State College. The NCAA Central Regional will be held on Saturday, November 6 in Joplin, Missouri while the NCAA National Championships will take place on November 20 at The Abbey Course in St. Leo, Florida.

PRESEASON ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Alec Kray (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D / Sioux Falls Washington HS) - Augustana University

Due to injury, Kray’s most recent action came at the Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships in 2017 where he placed eighth in a time of 32:03.3
His highest placing conference race came in 2017 where he placed third in a time of 24:48 leading the Vikings to the NSIC title
In the 2021 indoor season, Kray broke the school record in the 5,000m by eight seconds, running 14:10.51 at the Ichabod Invite
This past outdoor season, Kray became the first Viking to break 14:00 in the 5,000m when he won the Drake Relays seeded 5,000m running a new school record time of 13:56.24

Alec enters his final cross country campaign in a great position to help our team accomplish our team goals.

Head Coach Tracy Hellman

SEASON PREVIEWS & ATHLETES TO WATCH

AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY

Despite only returning three members from the 2019 team that placed sixth at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, the Vikings look to keep to the Augustana way. In the time off the grass, Augustana had six members of the distance team run faster than 14:30 on the track this past outdoor season. Senior Alec Kray led the charge breaking the school record and being the first Viking to break the 14:00 barrier in school history. The best runner from the sixth place team in 2019 is Austin Miller who placed 65th at the national meet. Since then Miller has accumulated two All-America honors in the 800m and mile this past indoor track season along with claiming the school record in the 1,500m in the outdoor season running 3:45.58.

We return many athletes with experience and talent, and we are excited to see what this fall season will bring.

Head Coach Tracy Hellman

Alec Kray (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D / Sioux Falls Washington HS)

Due to injury, Kray’s most recent action came at the Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships in 2017 where he placed eighth in a time of 32:03.3
His highest placing conference race came in 2017 where he placed third in a time of 24:48 leading the Vikings to the NSIC title
In the 2021 indoor season, Kray broke the school record in the 5,000m by eight seconds, running 14:10.51 at the Ichabod Invite
This past outdoor season, Kray became the first Viking to break 14:00 in the 5,000m when he won the Drake Relays seeded 5,000m running a new school record time of 13:56.24

Alec enters his final cross country campaign in a great position to help our team accomplish our team goals.

Head Coach Tracy Hellman

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL

Concordia-St. Paul men’s cross country has experienced a dramatic boost in recent years, improving or holding steady in the NSIC Championships standings every year since 2015. The Golden Bears, who ranked 13th out of 13 in 2015, jumped up five spots for the 2016 season, had back-to-back seventh place finishes in 2017 and 2018 in a 12-team league before a fifth-place finish in an expanded Northern Sun team pool of 14 teams in 2019.
The program has also more than doubled in roster size during those years, but will be tasked with replacing one of the school’s all-time greats, CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team student-athlete Benjamin Allen, who was the school’s choice as its CSP Male Athlete of the Year following his combined 2019-20 performance on the cross country circuit as well as the indoor & outdoor track & field seasons. He was coming off a 10th-place finish at the most recent NSIC Cross Country Championships in 2019.
The program is led by the steady leadership of head coach Jonathan Breitbarth, who will be inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. He is aided by Matt Buns, who was promoted to associate head coach of the program during the summer of 2021 in recognition of his steady contributions to the program from both a coaching and recruiting standpoint.
Concordia opens the season on Friday, September 3 at the Augie Twilight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the schedule once again features the program's top local meet at the Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota on September 24.

This team is a unique collection of a young returning team paired with the experience of some upper class transfers and the infusion of several talented first-year runners. The key to our success will be our ability to come together as a team early in the season. There is no doubt that we will be making strides from September to November as our team continues to gel.

Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth

Matthew Helser (Fr., Big Lake, Minn. / Spectrum HS)

Had eight top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes during his rookie track & field season (indoor/outdoor combined)
Set a personal best in the 1500m with a 3:57.82 for an 11th place finish at the 2021 NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Won the 800m at the Maverick Classic with a personal best 1:54.90 during the outdoor track & field season
Placed second in the 3k at the MSU Triangular with a personal best 8:57.37 during the indoor track & field season
Won the Chuck Peterson Dual in the event earlier in the year in his 3k debut (9:02.97)
Set a personal record in the mile in a time of 4:29.62 to place eighth at the Bison Open during indoor track & field

Matthew is a talented runner who really made a big jump last year as a first-year track athlete. He took the momentum of the way he finished his spring season and transferred that energy into preparing for this coming fall. We are excited to see what he does with his first opportunities at success as a college cross country runner. His focus on development has been evident throughout his time at CSP.

Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth

UNIVERSITY OF MARY

A veteran University of Mary men’s squad, led by a pair of all-conference performers, projects as one of the top teams in the Northern Sun this season. After a 4th place finish in 2019, the Marauders are picked second in the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll for 2021.
Jesse Kass will lead the Marauders charge. The junior from Graham, WA, placed 13th at the 2019 championships to earn all-conference honors for the first time. He had an even better performance the following meet when he placed 17th at the NCAA regional and receive All-Region honors. A 3-time All-NSIC performer, Kaas placed 3rd in the Northern Sun’s 5K championship last spring.
Dawson Strom joined Kaas in earning all-conference honors in 2019. A junior from Moorhead, MN, Strom placed 20th overall at the conference meet. He followed up with a strong performance at the NCAA central regional, claiming 27th. He has scored points for the Marauders at three straight conference track championships.
Senior Tim Moore is back after an outstanding season in 2019 where he received NSIC Athlete of the Week honors and placed 22nd at the conference meet, just missing all-conference recognition. Alex de la Maza, who placed 33rd at the last NSIC cross country championship, rounds out a strong group of returners.
One new look for the Marauders is the elevation of Jamison Dietrich to interim head cross country coach after longtime UMary head coach Dennis Newell took a coaching position at NCAA Division I North Dakota State. A former Marauders scholar-athlete, Dietrich joined UMary as an assistant coach last season.

I am excited to see this group of men come together to achieve some great things this fall. There is always a sense of the unknown with each season and each team, and this fall is no different. The beautiful thing about each evolution is the creation of something special through a set of values that guide that formation. I am excited for the process. The growth and development of each individual and the community as a whole is such a fun process to be a part of.

Interim Head Coach Jamison Dietrich

Jesse Kaas (Jr., Graham, Wash. / Kapowsin HS)

Earned All-Northern Sun honors after placing 13th at the 2019 conference meet
Claimed NCAA All-Region honors following a 17th place finish in 2019
A 3-time All-NSIC runner who placed 3rd in the 5K at the outdoor championships last spring

Jesse has so many great attributes that make him an individual we can count on to lead this team on and off the cross country course. We look for Jesse to help this team navigate the season with the virtues and values we hold dear at the University of Mary to reach our goals and continually do that with a greater purpose.

Interim Head Coach Jamison Dietrich

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON

The UMN Crookston men's cross country team enters their third season as a program and they look to show improvement under Head Coach Steven Krouse. The Golden Eagles have a mostly new group of runners from the 2019 season, the last competitive season for UMN Crookston. Minnesota Crookston is led by sophomore Hanokh Gailson (Reno, Nev.), who looks poised for a strong first competitive season. In addition, Minnesota Crookston returns Paul Hendrickx (Sr. Butler, Minn.) and looks to young runners Colton Uber (R-Fr., Brunswick, Ohio), Tristan Morneault (So., Dieppe, New Brunswick), Andon Morneault (Fr., Dieppe, New Brunswick), Chris Feldewerd (So., Melrose, Minn.), and Warden Dahlgren (So., Edgeley, N.D.).

I am excited to see what the team will be able to accomplish this season! This is an almost entirely new squad than who competed for us back in 2019. We will be very young, as our top five scoring runners will either be freshmen or redshirt freshmen. I think this team has great potential and I expect us to be competitive at both the conference and regional meet!

Head Coach Steven Krouse

Hanokh Gailson (So., Reno, Nevada / Nile Kinnick HS)

Gailson won the DODEA Far East Championship in high school in the 3200 and 1600m
Won the DODEA Far East Championship in the 3.12 mile race with a time of 16:27.9
Originally from Reno, Nev., but went to high school at Nile C. Kinnick H.S. located in U.S. Fleet Activities in Yokosuka, Japan

Hanokh is a hard worker who does not settle and strives to get better each and every day. He did not let last year's cancelled season affect his mindset during training and has high asperations for this upcoming season. Hanokh spent this summer training at high altitude and I am looking forward to see him finally compete in a Golden Eagle uniform!

Head Coach Steven Krouse

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH

After no cross country season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Minnesota Duluth men’s cross country team is looking forward to hit the ground running this fall. The team will look to improve on their 6th place finish in the NSIC Championship in 2019. Many of the men from that team are returning, including Braydon Kubat, Cole Fechner, Matthew Trutna and Lucas Selman. At the 2019 Championship, Trutna finished 31st and raced in the Central Region Championship as well. The team will look to Trutna to be a leader on the team this year. Jonny Tostenson also returns after finishing 27th at the 2019 NSIC Championship, and Christian Leonard returns after a stellar outdoor track and field season. The team has been hard at work training this summer and is poised to have some big results this season. Depth and experience will be assets for the men going into this season, which will be imperative going into the end of the year.

The men have really come together as a team and are really putting in the work this summer. I know that will result in some very strong performances this fall.

Assistant Coach Jeff Fiebelkorn

Matthew Trutna (Jr., Big Lake, Minn. / Big Lake HS)

Placed 31st in the NSIC Championship in 2019
Raced in the Central Region Championship in 2019
Named to 2019 NSIC Fall All-Academic team

Matt has put together a lot of consistent performances this past indoor and outdoor season and will be coming off a great summer of training. I would expect to see him leading the Bulldogs and improving upon his 31st place finish in the NSIC from 2019.

Assistant Coach Jeff Fiebelkorn

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO

Led by sophomore Tanner Maier and ten other returnees, Minnesota State looks to improve on its seventh-place finish at the 2019 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship. Maier, Minnesota State's top performer in his first season of college competition, turned in a 15th-place finish at the conference meet before placing 40th in regional competition.
The Mavericks were 17th at the 2019 NCAA Central Region meet and in addition to Maiers, also return junior Ben Schmied with NCAA experience. Head coach Ben Held welcomes back freshman Maquanet Collins, junior Finn Gessner, freshman Leif Larsen, freshman Carter Owen, freshman Nikolai Schmanski, freshman Caden Speikers, freshman Ray Ure, junior Will Valentin and freshman James Ziegeweid. Newcomers include a quartet of true freshmen in Adam Bohm, Caleb Smith, Jackson Thoe and Jacob Bennett.
Minnesota State is scheduled to open the 2021 season Sept. 3 at the Augie Twilight meet.

We are beyond excited to get the cross country season again after missing out on last year. Our team and grown tighter than ever and are ready to push each other to the next level. We are a young team but the development that I have seen throughout the previous indoor and outdoor season truly excited me to see what we can do.

Head Coach Ben Held

Tanner Maier (So., Lodi, Wis. / Lodi HS)

Competed in six events for Minnesota State during course of a freshman redshirt season in 2019
Posted a 3rd-place finish at Trent Smith Invite with a time of 26:27.75 (8K)
Registered a 15th-place finish at 2019 NSIC Championship with a time of 26:28.27 (8K)
Placed 40th at the 2019 NCAA DII Central Region Championship with a clocking of 32:00.15 (10K)

Tanner has been an asset to MSU ever since he stepped foot on campus. Not only is he a great student in the classroom, but as an athlete, he possess an excellent range where he can run anything from a 400m to 10,000m. He has been a key leader for our team where he is able to push his teammates to be their best. His work ethic and leadership is something that his teammates and I can rely on.

Head Coach Ben Held

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD

The Dragon men will have a new look in 2021 after graduating several key components from the 2019 team that was runner-up at the NSIC Championships. One returnee is junior Carson Speicher, who finished 23rd at the NSIC Championships in 2019. Also returning from that squad are Connor Hayes and Braxton Bruer, who are sophomores. Sophomore Adnew Stueven will look to be a key component for this year’s Dragon squad.

We're coming into the 2021 season having graduated 5 of our top 7 athletes from the 2019 team that finished 2nd at the NSIC Championships. I'm excited to see which of our men embrace the opportunity to take on a bigger role this season and for the group to gain experience that will benefit them in future seasons.

Head Coach Ryan Milner

Adnew Stueven (Fr., Northome, Minn. / Northome HS)

Had four wins during the indoor and outdoor track seasons in 2021
Finished fifth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at NSIC Outdoor (May 2021)
Finished in sixth in both the 1,000 meters and mile at NSIC Indoor (Feb. 2021)

Adnew is an exceptional distance runner who only just started to realize his potential during the 2020 track seasons. I'm looking for him to be our number one runner by the end of the season to compete amongst the best in the NSIC.

Head Coach Ryan Milner

MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

Depth with be a key for the Minot State men's team, as well as youth, as the Beavers have just a trio of seniors on the roster. New Beavers coach Sarah Fowler will look to the youthful experience of Jacob Jensen to lead the way for a strong, deep pack of runners.

We brought in a really good recruiting class to help add to our depth. With the additions of Gunnar Alvarado and Trent Holiday along with our returners, I am excited to see our men take the next step this upcoming season. I know they are hungry to prove themselves amongst the NSIC and Central Region.

Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mark Del Monaco

Jacob Jensen (So., Belcourt, N.D. / Turtle Mountain Community HS)

Turned in a stellar freshman season, leading the Beavers at the 2019 NSIC Championships finishing 36th in a collegiate-best 8K time of 27:14.9
Led Minot State again at the Central Region Championship, finishing 68th on the 10K course in 32:41.63
Set a new NCAA Division II School Record in the 10K of 31:46.35 at the 2021 NSIC Outdoor Championships, good for 5th in the event

Jacob had a breakout track season last spring and I am excited to see where this Fall takes him. He has taken his training to another level this summer which I know he will be rewarded for during the cross country season. I have no doubt that he will continue to lead by example and help this men's team reach new heights this upcoming cross country season.

Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mark Del Monaco

NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

The Northern State University men’s cross country team opens the 2021 season under the direction of first year distance coach Megan Kuehl. The Wolves took eighth as a team from the 2019 NSIC Championships with an average time of 27:37.57. Northern returns six from their 2019 squad and welcomes five since 2020. Jackson Harrison was tabbed as the team’s runner to watch this season. Harrison earned second team all-conference honors in 2019. The Wolves will kick-off the 2021 campaign on September 3rd at the Augustana Twilight.

We are excited to return to action this fall after having the season cancelled last year. We have a good mix of veteran runners along with a talented group of newcomers this fall. The guys are hungry to compete and we wait to start the season.

Head Coach Lynne Dingman

Jackson Harrison (Jr., Aberdeen, S.D. / Central HS)

2019 second team all-conference performer
Holds personal bests of 26:29.10 in the 8k and 32:51.60 in the 10k

Jackson returns in amazing shape to lead the Wolves this fall. He had an outstanding track season and we look for him to carry that into the fall. He has put in a ton of quality miles this summer and has been crushing course records. We are excited to see what the 2019 All-Conference XC Performer can do.

Head Coach Lynne Dingman

UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS

As the University of Sioux Falls Cross Country Men’s Team looks to the 2021 season, Director of TFCC Doug Petersen has a squad that includes experience and youthful talent which provide the making for a team focused on continuing a tradition of success. In its eight-year history in DII, six times USF has finished in the top three at the league championships and three times finished in the top two with an NSIC title in 2018. In addition, USF has had three NSIC individual champions and seven student-athletes who have been All-Americans in cross country. After missing 2020 due to CoVID-19 pandemic, the Cougars will try and match its finish or better of 2019 when they were third. Athlete to Watch David Ecker (Junior, Eau Claire, Wisc.) will provide leadership. A CoSIDA Third Team Academic All-American, Ecker was part of the USF's 2018 NSIC Cross Country championship team that finished fifth at the NCAA DII meet. Transfer Jakob Hanna (Sioux Falls, S.D., NDSU transfer), will add DI experience and success. Twice he finished in the top-28 at the Summit League Cross Country Championships. Also for USF, senior Aaron Voight (Gregory, S.D.), and senior Seth Overholt (Madison, S.D.) will also provide a veteran presence on a team that is talented with depth from Micade Shumway (So., Williston, N.D.), Ben Morrison (So., Bozeman, Mont.), Christian Lietz (So., Worthington, Minn.) along with freshmen Miles Olofson (Elk River, Minn), Caleb River (St. James, Minn.) and Kade Bullion (Brighton, Colo.).

We are excited to put on the spikes for the cross country season after missing last year. We have a nice combination of upper and lower classmen on our team that have blended well this past track season. They worked hard this past spring with many personal best race times and carried that over into their training this summer. They look forward to racing again.

Head Coach Doug Petersen

David Ecker (Jr., Eau Claire, Wis. / Eau Claire HS)

Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American
Eight-time Academic All-NSIC selection in cross country and track and field
Member of the 2018 NSIC Championship Team for USF, which was 5th at nationals
Member of 2019 USF team that placed third
Will serve as President for the USF SAAC organization

Dave had a stellar outdoor track & field season. He broke the school record in the 3,000m steeplechase, just off an NCAA provisional qualifying time. He also posted personal best times in the 1500m and 5,000m runs. Both of those times are top ten All-Time performances at USF. Dave is also the top returning runner on the cross country team from 2019.

Head Coach Doug Petersen

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s cross country team, under third-year head coach Kirk Nauman, will be a young squad in 2021 with one sophomore and six redshirt or true freshmen on the roster. Sophomore Ryan Russek is the lone letter winner returning from 2019 as he competed in all five races as a true freshman. Redshirt freshman Brayden Tofteland will make an impact this fall as he was a two-time state qualifier in high school. Redshirt freshman Ruben Montoya competed last season during the indoor and outdoor track season.

The program is in a growth and improvement phase. We have a number of newcomers hoping to make an impact right away.

Head Coach Kirk Nauman

Brayden Tofteland (So., Luverne, Minn. /Luverne HS)

Redshirted in 2020
Competed in four meets during the 2021 outdoor track & field season
Two-time state participant in high school

Brayden is a hard worker and is dedicated to improving at the next level. He is hoping his summer training pays dividends this upcoming season.

Head Coach Kirk Nauman

UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY

The Peacock men’s cross country team is excited to get on the course and race this fall. Upper Iowa is competing for just the second season since returning to the Fayette campus in the fall of 2019. UIU placed 13th during the 2019 NSIC Championships.
Junior David Snider returns to lead the Peacock runners along with senior Grant Dieken. Snider led the Peacocks in the first three races of the 2019 season with a top mark of 30:05.5 in the Roy Griak Invite. At the 2019 NSIC Championships, Snider ran a time of 30:49.56, while Dieken came across the line in a time 30:20.55.
Upper Iowa will open their competition on Friday night, Sept. 3 at the Augie Twilight hosted by Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Peacocks will compete in four races prior to the NSIC Championships including the Roy Griak Invite hosted by the University of Minnesota on Sept. 24.

Even though we are in our third year as a men's program, this will only be our second season to compete due to COVID. We have a young group of men that are eager to get back on the course and compete! They are going to be a fun group to work with. We are excited to see them continue to grow as a team and as individuals.

Head Coach Nate Rucker

David Snider (Jr., Havana, Ill. / Havana HS)

Ran a season’s best 8K at the Roy Griak Invite in 2019 in 30.05.5
Placed 97th at the 2019 NSIC Championships as a freshman

David has made great strides since his freshman year. I know he is eager to get back out there and have his second season of cross as a collegiate runner. He has put in a lot of work over the summer and is ready to have a successful fall campaign.

Head Coach Nate Rucker

WAYNE STATE COLLEGE

Veteran Wayne State head cross country coach Marlon Brink will look to a quartet of veterans runners along with nine newcomers who have never participated in a college cross country meet to push the Wildcats in the 2021 season and improve on an 11th place finish at the 2019 NSIC Championships held in Wayne. Senior Brock Hegarty is listed as the Wildcat Runner to Watch and has competed in all 19 meets for WSC over the last three seasons. Other veterans returning for the Wildcats include graduate student Nathan Hiemer along with seniors Bryce Holcomb and Jakob Kemper. Sophomores John Campbell, Collin Kotz, Gabe Peitz and Abe Schroeder will compete in college cross country for the first time this year along with four freshmen, led by Isaac Richards from Omaha Skutt Catholic High School who was the Nebraska Class B state champion last fall to cap a standout high school career. Wayne State opens the 2021 season at the Augustana Twilight Invite on September 3rd. The Wildcats also host two meets this fall – the Wildcat Classic on Friday, September 24th and the Northern Sun Conference Championships on Saturday, October 23rd.

I feel like we have a good mix of both experienced athletes and some new guys that will be competing for us this fall. Obviously, with not having a cross country season in 2020, it will be a new experience for even more of the guys. However, they got a good sense of what the NSIC competition will be like from the NSIC Indoor and Outdoor Championship track meets last year.

Head Coach Marlon Brink

Brock Hegarty (Gr., Fremont, Neb. / Fremont Senior HS)

Competed in all 19 meets over three seasons at WSC
Posted two top-30 finishes in 2019 season
Placed 19th at Dakota State Invite (9/14/19)
Two-time NSIC All-Academic selection

Brock has been a consistent performer for us throughout his career. He is a fifth-year senior this year, which I think gives him the added benefit of experience to know what he has to do to perform his best for us when it really counts, which is the NSIC and NCAA Regional Championships. I am really confident that we will see his best cross country season of his career this fall.

Head Coach Marlon Brink

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Winona State University men's cross-country team is ready to start their 2021 season, rolling out a veteran squad and some impressive newcomers.
The WSU fan base will see Josh Jarpey at the front of the Warrior pack and is likely to be one of the top competitors in the NSIC. Jarpey, a senior from Ham Lake, Minn. was the Winona State Newcomer of the Year in 2018-19 and earned 2019 NSIC All-Academic Team Honors as well.
This season will also be the first for new head coach, John Hibshman, hired at Winona State in 2020. The former UW-L assistant coach will lead his team through a tough gauntlet of competitions, including events at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, the University of Minnesota and at St. Cloud State. The Warriors will look to peak in late October when the NSIC hosts the 2021 Cross Country Championships in Wayne, Neb.

The men have really come together as a team and are really putting in the work this summer. I know that will result in some very strong performances this fall.

Head Coach John Hibshman

Josh Jarpey (Sr., Ham Lake, Minn. / Centennial HS)

Turned in a 14:35 indoor 5K mark in 2020
Has returned from a nagging foot injury to regain top form
One of five seniors, one of most experienced squads the Warriors have had in recent memory

Josh ran a 14:35 indoor 5k in 2020. He did not have a chance to compete last year, because of Covid. He is coming off a foot injury in the spring of 2021. His training has been going well and I see Josh being one of the top runners in the NSIC.

Head Coach John Hibshman

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