For Immediate Release
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Ashley Overgaauw (Jr., Lake Wilson, Minn. / Murray County Central HS) - Minnesota State
- Placed second at the Dordt University - Holiday Inn Express Classic in Sioux Center, Iowa
- Ran a season-best time of 21:02.98 
- The Mavericks had four student-athletes inside the top six 
- MSU won the event with a team score of 28 points
- Named NSIC Athlete of the Week for the third time this season (9/9/25 & 9/30/25)

Other Top Performances
Tori Stepka (UMary)
- Placed third at the Marauders Open in her third-ever race 
- Had a personal best 6k time of 22:14.3
- Led the Marauders to a team victory at the meet with 28 points
Shaelyn Hostager (Minnesota Duluth)
- Placed 16th at the 6K Lewis Crossover ran in Romeoville, Illinois
- Ran a time of 21:58.2
- Helped UMD to a 11th place finish in the 36 team field
Emery Smith (Minot State)
- Ran a career-best time in the 6K at the Marauders Open 
- Clocked a time of 22:44 to finish in 8th place
Emaleigh Olesiak (Northern State)
- Recorded a runner-up finish at the UMary Marauder Open
- Raced to a 6k time of 22:03.7
- Tallied a 5:55 average mile time
 
NSIC Women's Cross Country Athletes of the Week
9/9/25
Ashley Overgaauw - Minnesota State
9/16/25
Not Awarded
9/23/25
Sophia Taarud - Winona State
9/30/25
Ashley Overgaauw - Minnesota State (2)
10/7/25
Sophia Taarud - Winona State (2)
10/14/25
Ashley Overgaauw - Minnesota State (3)

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 122 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.