NDSU cross-country teams win back-to-back titles

Sweep team honors at Dragon Twilight Invitational

The North Dakota State University men’s and women’s cross-country teams are 2 – 0 in meets after capturing the team titles at the Dragon Twilight Invitational this past weekend held on a course at the Bluestem Center for Arts in Moorhead, Minn. This is the second consecutive meet win for the Bison as they captured team titles the previous weekend in Grand Forks, N.D.

NDSU runner Kaleesa Houston won the Dragon Twilight Invitational – Photo Courtesy | NDSU Athletics

Kaleesa Houston took medalist honors on the women’s side with a time of 13:19.1 for the four-kilometer course. It’s the first win of Houston’s collegiate career. Sophomores Grace Link and Alexis Roehl took third and fourth respectively. Link finished with a time of 13:26.7 while Roehl clocked a 13:39.3.

The Bison women finished with 24 points ahead of the University of Mary (N.D.) who tallied 71 points and the University of North Dakota with 82 points.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, the Bison placed four runners in the Top 5. NDSU junior Hunter Klimek took runner-up honors with a time of 17:55.4 for the six-kilometer course at Bluestem in Moorhead. Zach Johnson was third in 17:57.7, Payton Smith placed fourth in 17:59.5, Symon Keiser took fifth in 18:00.7, and Jake Arason finished sixth in 18:01.6.

NDSU runners Hunter Klimek (L) and Zach Johnson finished second and third, respectively at Dragon Twilight Invitational – Photo Courtesy | NDSU Athletics

Jacob Jensen of Minot State (N.D.) was the medalist with a time of 17:48.53.

The Bison men finished with 20 points to win the team title. Minot State finished a distant second with 68 points.

Both teams have now won the first two meets on their respective schedules as they captured the Ron Pynn Classic in Grand Forks, N.D. on September 2nd. Next up for Herd is the Roy Griak Invitational in Falcon Heights, Minn., on Friday, September 24th.

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