GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota will make the 150+ mile trip to Jamestown to compete at the Jimmie Invitational this Friday morning. The men's 8K will kick off the meet at 9:30 a.m. and will be followed by the women's 6K race scheduled for 10:10 a.m.

Live results of the meet will be provided by Hero's Timing.

Both Teams Remain Ranked in USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings
In the most recent USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings, both North Dakota teams are ranked.

The Fighting Hawk women remain in the top-10 and sit No. 9. They are the top ranked team from the Summit League in the poll. This is just the third time the Hawks have ranked in the top-10 regionally, with their only other times coming earlier this season (No. 9 in preseason and No. 8 after week one).

NoDak's men moved up one spot to No. 11, giving them their best ranking in the poll since its creation in 2012. Previously, UND ranked No. 12 in week one this season and also No. 12 after week one last year.

Last Time Out
Jadyn Keeler made headlines while running in drizzly conditions at the Roy Griak Invitational two weeks ago and captured the 6K title in 20:57.3, making her the first athlete in North Dakota's Division I history to win an individual title at a Power Four meet.

Keeler's performance at Minnesota also made waves nationally, with her being named the NCAA Division I Women's National Athlete of the Week. With the honor, she became the first UND student-athlete in history to earn the award in program history. She also garnered the title of Kwik Star Summit League Athlete of the Week on Sept. 23 for her performance.

In the team races in Minneapolis, the North Dakota women placed third in the 6K with 105 points, while the Fighting Hawk men finished fifth in the 8K with 127 points. It marked the best finishes for both squads at the Roy Griak Invitational in UND's Division I history and was also the first time both teams finished in the top five at the meet.

Keeler was victorious in the 6K with her time of 20:57.3 and outran Ali Weimer, an unattached Golden Gopher, in the final 2K to hold on for the victory. Weimer was the runner-up in 21:00.9.

Shewaye Johnson was the next Hawk to cross the finish line in the 6K and clocked a time of 22:27.5 to take 18th. Marie-Louise Jorgensen, running in her first collegiate 6K, finished 22nd in 22:44.1. Frida Giersdorff and Olivia Correale were the final point scorers for UND and took 36th (23:04.0) and 41st (23:09.2), respectively. Elle Sondag (48th, 23:24.8) and Katherine Rogers (57th, 23:38.3) were the sixth and seventh Hawks to cross the finish line at the meet.

Louis-Lys Fanucchi led the NoDak men in the 8K and finished 20th in 25:47.8. Aleksa Milanovic crossed less than 20 seconds later and was 25th with a time of 26:04.0. Matej Hrebacka (29th, 26:06.8), Jonas Weschle (30th, 26:07.8) and Ethan Adams (32nd, 26:09.2) rounded out the scoring for North Dakota. Weston Forward was just outside scoring distance and took 42nd in 26:30.7. Owen Chapman, running in his first collegiate 8K, was the seventh Hawk to cross the finish line and was 60th with a time of 27:06.3.

National Honors
M-F Athletic NCAA Division I Women's National Athlete of the Week
- Jadyn Keeler – Women's Cross Country (Sept. 22)

Summit League Accolades
Kwik Star Peak Performer of the Week
- Jadyn Keeler – Women's Cross Country (Sept. 9, Sept. 23)

Hawks to Watch
At the beginning of the season, the Summit League announced the annual preseason poll, along with the names of four UND student-athletes who were named Athletes to Watch in the Summit League this season. Both NoDak teams were tabbed third in the preseason poll. The Hawks named Athletes to Watch are Jadyn Keeler, Shewaye Johnson, Ian Busche and Matej Hrebacka.

Keeler redshirted last cross country season but previously earned Second Team All-Summit League honors in 2023 and First Team All-Summit League accolades in 2022. This August, Keeler made headlines at the Jr. Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, where she ran for her home nation of Canada and was the gold medalist in the 10,000 meters (34:16.61) and silver medalist in the 5,000 meters (15:56.77).

Johnson, a transfer from Texas A&M, finished 22nd in the 6K with a time of 20:08.4 at the NCAA Division I South Central Regional Championships last season. She also finished 67th in the 6K at the SEC Cross Country Championships in 20:37.0. In 2023, she was a national qualifier for the NCAA Championships, where she took 231st in the 6K with a time of 22:07.5.

Busche ran a time of 26:06.0 at the Summit League Championships to finish 39th last season. He also clocked PR times of 23:58.7 in the 8K at the Arturo Barrios Invitational and 17:52.8 in the 6K at the Dragon Twilight Invitational.

Hrebacka garnered Second Team All-Summit League status with an eighth-place finish in the 8K in 24:50.37 last season. His finish gave him the fourth-best finish by a UND runner at the meet in school history. He also paced the UND men at the NCAA Midwest Regional and took 83rd, clocking a time of 31:04.96.

On Tap
North Dakota will have an open week next weekend before traveling to College Station, Texas, for the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 17.