For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Sam Rivard (Sophomore, Oak Grove, Minn. / St. Francis HS)
Minnesota Duluth

For the third time in as many events this season, sophomore All-American Samantha Rivard led the way for UMD, finishing fourth overall with a 5K time of 16:55.9 at the University of Notre Dame Invitational’ s Gold Race.  Rivard finished second among Division II runners, coming in three seconds behind Allyson Winchester of Grand Valley State (Winchester finished third at the NCAA National Championships last season). This marks the third week in a row Rivard has been named NSIC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week.   
Buoyed by Top 20 finishes by three of its runners, No. 4 UMD placed third among 27 teams in the University of Notre Dame Invitational’ s Gold Race, taking a backseat only to meet champion Grand Valley State University (56 points), the reigning NCAA II titleholder, and NCAA I-member Duquesne University (123 pts.) of Pittsburgh, Pa.

NSIC Team Notes
Augustana
The Vikings were idle last week.
Up Next: October 11 at the Briar Cliff Invitational in McCook Lake, SD.

Bemidji State
The Beavers were idle last week.
Up Next: Oct. 10 at Jamestown, N.D. to compete in the Jimmy Invitational. The starting gun is set for 4 p.m.

Concordia-St. Paul
The Golden Bears were idle last week.
Up Next: CU will participate at Lucian Rosa hosted by UW-Parkside on Sat., Oct. 11

University of Mary
Ranked 21st in the latest USTFCCCA poll, the Marauders didn’t compete last weekend.
Up Next: Oct. 10 at Jamestown, N.D. to compete in the Jimmy Invitational. The starting gun is set for 4 p.m.

Minnesota Duluth
For the third time in as many events this season, sophomore All-American Samantha Rivard led the way for UMD, finishing fourth overall with a 5K time of 16:55.9 at the University of Notre Dame Invitational’s Gold Race.  Rivard finished second among Division II runners, coming in three seconds behind Allyson Winchester of Grand Valley State.
Buoyed by Top 20 finishes by three of its runners, No. 4 UMD placed third among 27 teams in the University of Notre Dame Invitational’s Gold Race, taking a backseat only to meet champion Grand Valley State University (56 points), the reigning NCAA II titleholder, and NCAA I-member Duquesne University (123 pts.) of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Also on Friday afternoon, four Bulldogs participated in the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Blugold Invitational in Colfax, Wis., where junior Hannah Jocelyn took team honors (98th place out of 405 runners.)
Up Next: UMD is now off until Oct. 18 when it visits La Crosse, Wis. for the Tori Neubauer Invitational.

Minnesota State
The Mavericks were idle last week.
Up Next: The Bob Waxlax Invitational in St. Cloud, Minn., slated for Oct. 24th.

MSU Moorhead
The Dragons were idle last weekend.
Up Next: at Jimmie Invitational, Oct. 10

Minot State
The Beavers were idle last weekend.
- Up next: Minot State travels to the University of Jamestown Jimmie Invite, Oct. 10.

Northern State
The Wolves were idle last weekend.
Up Next: NSU travels to the University of Jamestown Jimmie Invite, Oct. 10.

Sioux Falls
Sophomore Rachel Huffman clocked an 18:35.2 in the 5K race and was 24th (117th overall) in the college division at the Chili Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark.  The Cougars finished 12th as a team.  
Up Next: USF will be the Briar Cliff invite on Saturday, Oct. 11 at McCook Lake, S.D.

Southwest Minnesota State
The Mustangs were led by Savannah Ramirez at the South Dakota State Classic, who finished the 5K course in 20:06.34 to finsh in 56th place.  The Mustangs finsihed ninth as a team at the event.
Up Next: October 11 at the Briar Cliff Invitational in McCook Lake, SD.

St. Cloud State
The St. Cloud State women’s cross country team was idle over the weekend.  
Up Next: The Huskies will return to action on Oct. 18 with a trip to LaCrosse, Wisc. for the annual Drews/Neubauer Invitational at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.
-SCSU cross country fans will have an opportunity to watch the Huskies run at home at the 2014 St. Cloud State Bob Waxlax Invitational on Oct. 24.  The meet is named in honor of former SCSU coach and professor Bob Waxlax and it will be held at the Wapicada Golf Course in nearby Sauk Rapids, Minn.

Upper Iowa
The Peacocks were idle last week.
Up Next: Upper Iowa will not race again until Oct. 11 at the Lucian Rosa Invite hosted by Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis.

Wayne State
The Wildcats were idle last week.
Up Next: October 11 at the Briar Cliff Invitational in McCook Lake, SD.

Winona State
The Warriors finished 26th out of 32 among a group of mostly strong Division I teams Saturday at the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic. Jordan Paschke was the Warriors’ top finisher, crossing the finish line in 77th place with a 5K time of 18:12.72.  Teammate Jordan Skelly was close behind, finishing 92nd with a time of 18:17.18.
Up Next: The Warriors will have a few weeks off before they’ll run in the UW-L Drews-Neubauer Invitational in West Salem on October 18.

Past NSIC Women’s CC Athletes of the Week
9/9/14: Sasha Hovind, Northern State
9/16/14: Molly Montonye, MSU Moorhead
9/23/14: Sam Rivard, Minnesota Duluth
9/30/14: Sam Rivard, Minnesota Duluth (2)
10/7/14: Sam Rivard, Minnesota Duluth (3)

NSIC Cross Country Championship
NSIC Cross Country teams will compete in various meets throughout the fall with the season culminating in Wayne, Neb. on Saturday, November 8 at the NSIC / US Bank Cross Country Championships.  The NCAA Regional will take place two weeks later on Saturday, November 22 again in Wayne, Neb. The NCAA DII National Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, December 6 at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky. in conjunction  with the NCAA Fall Sports Festival.