GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The University of North Dakota cross country teams hit the course for its second meet of the season on Friday, as the Fighting Hawks are set to take on the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo. 

For the third time, the Gans Creek Classic features both collegiate and high school competitions. Friday morning will feature four collegiate races at 8 a.m. (Women's Gold Invite), 9 a.m. (Men's Gold Invite), 9:45 a.m. (Women's Black Open) and 10:30 a.m. (Men's Black Open). Live results of the meet will be provided by PrimeTime Timing. 

REGIONAL RANKINGS
Both teams found themselves ranked in the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings, which were announced on Wednesday. The Fighting Hawk women are ranked seventh, which is the top spot in the Summit League, while the UND men entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 14. 

LAST TIME OUT
North Dakota cross country made its season debut at the Dragon Twilight and did so in dominating fashion as the Fighting Hawks swept both the team and individual titles under the Friday night lights at MSU Moorhead.

It was Shewaye Johnson who crossed the finish line first in the women's Randy Smith 5k race behind her winning time of 17:17.6. That hot finish from the leading Fighting Hawk was just the first of what would be a clean North Dakota sweep of the top seven places in the event. Olivia Correale was next with her new personal best time of 17:36.9 for runner-up as Marie-Louise Jorgensen clocked a 17:41.4 for third place. Rounding out the top five was Naja Weiler in fourth with a time of 17:47.6 and Frida Giersdorff, who ran a 17:54.2, in fifth place.

During men's competition, Louis-Lys Fanucchi ran a time of 17:33.9 to emerge victorious with the individual crown in the Fred Dahnke 6k race. Matej Hrebacka was right behind with a clocking of 17:36.7 for a second-place finish as Ethan Adams was next for the Fighting Hawks in fourth place with a 17:42.4. Ian Busche and Henrik Lindstrot were the final scorers for North Dakota, finishing sixth in 17:44.7 and 11^th in 18:05.4, respectively.

PRESEASON PREVIEW
The Summit League released its 2026 Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday, September 2, placing North Dakota in the top two positions of each the men's and women's rankings.
 
UND finished atop the standings of the women's preseason poll with 47 total points and five first-place votes. South Dakota State followed in second place with 42 points and two first-place votes as North Dakota State took third with 39 points and the final first-place vote. Rounding out the remaining five spots, in order, were South Dakota, St. Thomas, Oral Roberts, Omaha and Kansas City.
 
The men's preseason poll featured North Dakota in second place with 32 points and two first-place votes. South Dakota State was first in the release with 35 points and five first-place votes as North Dakota State took third with 26 points. Rounding out the final four positions in the poll were Oral Roberts, South Dakota and St. Thomas all tied for fourth with 16 points as Kansas City was seventh with six points.

HAWKS TO WATCH
In the September 2 preseason conference release, North Dakota had four cross country runners honored as Preseason Athletes to Watch. Louis-Lys Fanucchi and Matej Hrebacka earned the distinction for the men as Marie-Louise Jorgensen and Shewaye Johnson were recognized for the women.
 
Fanucchi tallied three new personal bests during the cross country season in the 6k, 8k and 10k races. He also made waves during the conference championship meet as he finished third alongside a time of 23:58.8 for First Team All-Summit honors before taking 62^nd at the NCAA Midwest Regional in 32:23.5, both marking new PRs.
 
Hrebacka placed seventh at the Summit League Cross Country Championships in 24:01.2 to claim First Team All-Summit honors after clocking two new personal bests in the 6k and 8k during regular season competition. He then went on to lead UND in the NCAA Midwest Regional as he claimed 41^st place in 31:46.9.
 
The freshman season for Jorgensen saw her earn two total new personal bests in the 5k and 6k races before she secured a strong fifth-place showing at the conference meet after crossing the finish line in 20:45.4. Her finish gave her First Team All-Summit and Newcomer of the Championship honors before she took 79^th at the regional in 22:05.1.
 
Johnson's debut season at North Dakota saw a highlight performance at the conference championships when she finished fourth overall in a time of 20:25.5, earning First Team All-Summit distinction. She went on to be the second-highest placing Hawk at the Midwest Regional after taking 27^th in 21:07.8.

UP NEXT
UND will close its regular season at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. on Oct. 16.