Brookings, S.D. – On a muggy evening the Fighting Hawk women used strength in numbers to fend off pre-season Summit League favorite South Dakota State by four points on its home course to win the 2021 SDSU Classic.  The men's squad took second place in the meet behind the Jackrabbits.
 
In the women's 5K race, senior leader Ellyssa Peterson ran with the front group and took the lead near the 3K mark on her way to a second-place finish overall.   True freshman Jadyn Keeler took control of the race early holding the lead at the mile mark.  Keeler went on to finish fourth overall, the top freshman finisher.  True freshman Eliana Malnourie scored her second top ten finish in as many weeks moving up steadily throughout the race once again.  Last season's Summit League Newcomer of the Year Conny Wohlfahrt crossed the line 11^th and McKenzie Burian was 12^th.  As UND's fourth and fifth runners, Wohlfahrt and Burian finished ahead of SDSU's and North Dakota State's fourth and fifth runners to help secure the victory.
 
The women decreased their 1-5 time gap from :46 seconds a week ago to :41 seconds tonight en route to the victory.  North Dakota tallied 39 points meanwhile SDSU, who had beaten the Hawks seven of the last eight times these two have matched up, scored 43 to finish second.
 
In the men's race, the young Fighting Hawks – several of them running their first or second collegiate 8K – fell to SDSU but finished ahead of third-place North Dakota State.  True freshman Justin Jelaca and sophomore Patrick Kipkemboi were at the front of the lead pack at the midway point in the race.  They finished eighth and ninth respectively as the top two scorers for the Hawks.  Luke Labatte finished 11^th overall, a three spot and :20 second improvement from his effort on this course two years ago, in what was his first ever collegiate 8K.  True freshman Ben Scheller turned in a solid performance finishing fourth on the team and 26^th overall in his first collegiate 8K.  Alec Nelson was one spot behind Scheller in 27^th.  
 
North Dakota will have it's first off week next week before taking the starting line at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minn. on Friday, September 24. The men will run at 10:30 a.m. with the women, running their first 6K of the season, to follow at 11:15 a.m. 

Women's Results:  https://results.dakotatiming.com/display.html?event_id=799&res=210910F001
Men's Results:  https://results.dakotatiming.com/display.html?event_id=799&res=210910F002
 
North Dakota women's individual finishers, 5K
2.  Ellyssa Peterson, 18:05
4.  Jadyn Keeler, 18:19
10.  Eliana Malnourie, 18:33
11.  Conny Wohlfahrt, 18:33
12.  McKenzie Burian, 18:46
30.  Mikayla Weiss, 20:01
32.  Abby McNeil, 20:09
34.  Greta McLagan, 20:24
42.  Michaela Oosthuizen, 20:49
50.  Aislinn Hunter, 22:42
 
Women's team score

1.  North Dakota 39
2.  South Dakota State 43
3.  North Dakota State 51
4.  Sioux Falls 88

North Dakota men's individual finishers, 8K
8.  Justin Jelaca, 25:41
9.  Patrick Kipkemboi, 25:47
11. Luke Labatte, 25:50
26.  Ben Scheller, 26:45
27.  Alec Nelson, 26:48
31.  Nick Oak, 27:05
34.  Geno Urbohm, 27:26
37.  Zach Long, 27:36
44.  Zak King, 28:42
 
Men's team score

1.  South Dakota State 15
2.  North Dakota 65
3.  North Dakota State 74
4.  Sioux Falls 90