BURNSVILLE, MINN. – The University of Sioux Falls Women's Cross Country Team, which returns experience and talented newcomers, has been projected to place ninth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll released today.

USF has been projected ninth with 120 ballot points, according to the preseason poll. The preseason favorite is Augustana with 10 first-place votes and 220 points. U-Mary received six first place votes and 216 points to finish in a close second. Winona State was picked third with 183 followed by Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth at 173 and 172 points, respectively. USF was just four points from seventh where Concordia St. Paul had 124 with Northern State at eighth and 121 points and then USF at 120 in ninth.
 
USF will open the 2021 season at the Augustana Twilight at Yankton Trails Park on Friday, Sept. 3.  The Cougars complete in four regular season competitions leading up to the NSIC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 23 at 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. 
 

PREVIEW - In 2021, the Cougars will try and match or better its program-best mark of fourth place in the team standings at the 2018 NSIC Championships.   
 
"After missing last fall's cross country season, this year will be a special year," said USF Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Doug Petersen. "We look forward to running a schedule and racing again. We are excited to face the running challenges as we try to move up the NSIC standings. We have some veterans returning and a group of talented freshmen, sophomore and newcomers," he said.
 
Sophomore Khot Juac (Sioux Falls, S.D.), who was named the Athlete to Watch in the NSIC announcement, is poised to make an impression after an outstanding spring track season with USF's fourth best 5K all-time (18:02.46) and the third-best 1500 meters (4:40.62)
 
USF is a team that will also look to its youth to step up with such athletes as Karlee Simmons (R-So., Keystone, S.D.), Annika Aho (So., Menagha, Minn.), Tianna Voigt (R.Jr., Pelican Rapids, Minn.), Cassidy O'Meara (Jr., Moorhead, Minn.) and freshman Morgan Gehl (Fr., Fulda, Minn.), Jessica Lutmer (Fr., Pierre, S.D.) and Ella Kolb (Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D.).