For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014
NSIC Media Relations

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

Samantha Rivard captured her second individual title of the season (and of her career) with a 6,000-meter time of 22:02.8 to win the Roy Griak Invite, hosted by the University of Minnesota at Les Borstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. Rivard finished nearly 11 seconds ahead of second place finisher Sasha Hovind of Northern State (22:13.4), helping the Bulldogs to a first place team finish. This marks the second week in a row Rivard has been named NSIC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week.  Rivard was also selected the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Track Athlete of the Week for her efforts. 

NSIC Team Notes
Augustana
Leah Seivert (Freshman, Sibley Iowa / Sibley-Ocheyedan)
- Viking women take second at the Roy Griak Invitational in Maroon Division
- Leah led team taking third place with a time of 22:22.6 at the Roy Griak Invitational this past weekend.
Up Next: Oct. 11 at Briar Cliff Invite

Bemidji State
Led by junior Emily Turner (Windom, Minn.), Bemidji State posted a score of 853 to finish 31st at the 29th Annual Roy Griak Invitational Sept. 27. Turner’s time of 25:21.8 was 2:12.4 off championship pace and placed her 109th.
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
Maggie Marcus paced the Golden Bears by finishing in 118th place out of 330 total women’s entrants in the Roy Griak Division II race in a time of 25:17.1. She led the women’s team to a 29th place finish out of 35 total teams.
Up Next: CU will participate at Lucian Rosa hosted by UW-Parkside on Sat., Oct. 11

University of Mary
- The 23rd ranked Marauders finished 5th at the Roy Griak Invitational out of 35 teams
- Freshman Alexis Zeis finished 21st overall to pace the Marauders efforts
- Zeis has finished atop the Marauders leaderboard in both of U-Mary’s outings this season
- Four Marauders placed in the top 40; Kaycie Stewart (33), Erin Leier (37) and Katelynn Engh (40).
- Four of the top six placers for U-Mary were freshmen
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
Samantha Rivard captured her second invidual title of the season (and of her career) with a 6,000-meter time of 22:02.8 to win the Roy Griak Invite, hosted by the University of Minnesota at Les Borstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn. Rivard finished nearly 11 seconds ahead of second place finisher Sasha Hovind of Northern State (22:13.4).
Up Next: South Bend, Ind., Friday (Oct. 3) for the University of Notre Dame Invitational.

Minnesota State
The Minnesota State women’s cross country team placed 15th at the 2014 Roy Griak Invitational.  Senior Marina Paul, who clocked in at 23:59.9, placed 46th as the top Maverick invididual.
Up Next: The Bob Waxlax Invitational in St. Cloud, Minn., slated for Oct. 24th.

MSU Moorhead
Molly Montonye (Jr., Graceville, Minn./Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley HS)
--Finished a strong fourth to help MSUM women to ninth-place finish at Roy Griak Invitational
--Ran a 6K time of 22:25.1, which was her best time ever at the Les Bolstad Course
--Recorded second top-five finish of 2014 season.
Up Next: at Jimmie Invitational, Oct. 10

Minot State
- Minot State finished 24th overall at the 29th annual Roy Griak Invitational Saturday. The Beavers were eighth among the 12 Northern Sun teams to run.
- Catie LeDesma (5-6, So., Chula Vista, Calif. / Otay Ranch) had the top time for the Beavers placing 56th in scoring with a time of 24 minutes, 16.5 seconds. She has been Minot State’s top runner at both events the Beavers have competed this season. It was a course-best time for LeDesma.
- Allison Windish (5-5, Jr., Wimbledon, N.D. / Barnes County North) was second on the Beavers and 80th overall in scoring times, finishing the 6K race in 24:48.9. She has been the Beavers No. 2 runner in both events.  Windish finished the race with a course-best time in her third season competing in cross country.
- Samantha Huether (5-0, So., Minot, N.D. / Minot) was just outside the top 100 in the event, taking 122nd overall in scoring times with a 25.46.9.
- Up next: Minot State travels to the University of Jamestown Jimmie Invite, Oct. 10.

Northern State
Sasha Hovind, Stirum, N.D., North Sargent HS garnered a runner-up finish at the Roy Griak Invitational Saturday at the University of Minnesota. Hovind, who finished over 30 places better than her finish last year at The Griak. Ran a time of 22:13.4 and led NSU to a 17th-place team finish.
Up Next: NSU travels to the University of Jamestown Jimmie Invite, Oct. 10.

Sioux Falls
The Cougar were idle last week.
Up Next: Chili Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark (10/4)

Southwest Minnesota State
The Mustangs were idle last week.
Up Next: At South Dakota State on October 4.

St. Cloud State
- St. Cloud State University sophomore Samantha Sunstrom paced the Huskies women’s cross country team at the University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 27 with a 49th place finish at 24:07.3.
-  SCSU sophomore Rachel Sakry placed second for the Huskies at the Griak with a time of 24:53.1 in 85th place, while Maria Hauer placed 137th at 26:01.1  
- As a team, SCSU placed 21st with 594 points at the Roy Griak Invitational.
Up Next: SCSU will continue its 2014 season with a trip to the Neubauer Invitational at UW-LaCrosse on Oct. 18.

Upper Iowa
Hallie Whitley led the Peacocks for the second time in as many meets with a time of 25:24.4 placing 110th at the Roy Griak.
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
Kinsey Clark (Sophomore, Broken Bow, NE)  - Clark led the Wildcats at the 29th Annual Roy Griak Invite with a placing of 152nd in a time of 25:55. The Wildcat women’s team placed 34th.  
Up Next: October 11 at the Briar Cliff Invitational in McCook Lake, SD.

Winona State
Raissa Hansen (Fr., Eagan, Minn.)
- Hansen won the SMU No Limit Invitational Friday in Winona with a time of 24:20.990.
- The freshman edged out four of her teammates who all finished within four seconds of each other to take the top five spots and cruise to the SMU No Limit Invitational Title.
Up Next: The Winona State women’s cross country team now prepares for the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational on Friday in Colfax, Wis.

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)

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 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.