NEW ORLEANS – The University of Sioux Falls Men's Cross Country Team, which recorded its best season in school history in 2018, has picked up a top-two billing in the recently released United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association Central Region poll, which was released Tuesday (August 27).
USF, which was recently ranked No. 5 in NCAA DII by the Flo Track website, is the top Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference school in the Central Region
rankings with Augustana at third and MSU Moorhead, fourth.
USF, which returns a deep roster including
two-time NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year and two-time All-American
Mason Phillips, was the preseason favorite in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll.
USF, directed by head coach
Doug Petersen, captured the program's first-ever NSIC title a year ago and had a program-best fifth place finish at nationals. In that race,
Mason Phillips had a program-best individual finish by taking seventh at the DII nationals.
Phillips along with seniors
Steven Brown and Zach Lundgren finished in the top three spots at the NSIC Championships. For the second straight year, Phillips and Brown occupied the first two spots with Phillips, who won the NSIC individual title in 2017, taking second behind
Steven Brown at the 2018 Championship. It was Brown's first ever individual NSIC title and USF's third as a program.
At the
NSIC Championship, USF captured four of the top five spots to win with 32 points in a dominating team performance. USF also returns seven others who competed at the league meet. Others who will compete for spots on the team include senior
Billy Beseman, who was 22
nd at the
NSIC meet a year ago when the Cougars averaged an incredible 24:32.32 across 8,000 meters in capturing a title. In addition, senior
Dan Armstrong, sophomore
Shodo Mohamed,
Aaron Voigt and
David Ecker, 73
rd; along with junior
Logan Hansen will vie for spots.
Central Regional Poll
1.
Missouri Southern
2. Sioux Falls
3. Augustana (S.D.)
4.
MSU Moorhead
5. Southwest Baptist (Mo.)
6. Fort Hays State (Kan.)
7. Nebraska-Kearney
8. Pittsburg State
9. East Central (Okla.)
10. Washburn (Kan.)
