For Immediate Release
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Katelyn Kennedy (Sr., Brainerd, Minn. / Brainerd HS) - MSU Moorhead
- Placed 10th in the 6k run at the Platte River Rumble, finishing at 22:49.5
- Was the top NSIC finisher in the field
- Led the Dragons to an eighth-place team finish

Other Performers
Lilah Bartels (Augustana)
- Led the Vikings with a 49th-place finish at Bradley Pink Classic
- Ran a 6k PR of 21:17.1 in her cross country debut for the Vikings
- Helped pace the Vikings to a 14th-place finish in the team standings
 
NSIC Women's Cross Country Athletes of the Week
9/9/26
Stella Rusch - Winona State
9/15/26
Tori Stepka - UMary
9/22/26
Stella Rusch - Winona State (2)
9/29/26
Lydia Franson - Jamestown
10/6/26
Lydia Franson - Jamestown (2)
10/13/26
Stella Rusch - Winona State (3)
10/20/26
Katelyn Kennedy - MSU Moorhead

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 128 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.