2022 GPAC Cross Country Previews and Preseason Polls
(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has released their 2022 Preseason Cross Country Polls after a vote of the league coaches. Also, the GPAC asked each coach to provide a season outlook for their team and a runner to watch for 2022. These previews follow the preseason polls below.
Dordt University is the defending conference champion for both the women and men.
The 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships are Saturday, November 5, in Jamestown, North Dakota, and will be hosted by the University of Jamestown at the Parkhurst Reservoir. Coaches could not vote for their own team in the polls.
2022 GPAC Preseason Women's Cross Country Coaches' Poll:
Place – Team – Pts (1st Place Votes)
1. Dordt – 119 (9)
2. Hastings – 105 (1)
3t. Concordia – 96 (1)
3t. Doane – 96 (1)
5. Northwestern – 81
6. Morningside – 69
7. College of Saint Mary – 56
8. Midland – 54
9. Mount Marty – 42
10. Jamestown – 38
11. Dakota Wesleyan – 22
12. Briar Cliff – 14
2022 GPAC Preseason Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll:
Place – Team – Pts (1st Place Votes)
1. Dordt – 90 (10)
2. Doane – 82 (1)
3. Northwestern – 68
4. Concordia – 67
5. Midland – 53
6. Morningside – 47
7. Hastings – 44
8. Mount Marty – 39
9. Dakota Wesleyan – 28
10. Jamestown – 18
11. Briar Cliff – 14
2022 GPAC Cross Country Team Previews – Provided and Written by the Head Coaches
Briar Cliff University
Head Coach: Scott Barnes
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 12th
Outlook: With having a young and very capable class coming in we look to improve on our team rank and hope to get some people on the podium for the GPAC Championships.
Runner to Watch: Lexi Webber is a returning junior who has put in some great work the last two years. We will look for her to be a great team leader and be a great team captain to this young team.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 12th
Outlook: We have a good class coming in with some returners who out in a great summer. We will look to close our gap from previous years.
Runner to Watch: Robert Amaro who is a senior will be running cross for his first full season. He has done very well in the 800 recording a 1:56 last year and we look to have that translate to cross country try and lead this team.
College of Saint Mary
Head Coach: Derek Fey
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 7th
Outlook: After graduating two of our top six runners, College of Saint Mary is looking to fill the gaps with a couple incoming freshmen. We should have a solid top-five group with several freshmen from last year improving over last spring's track and field season. With the largest roster in program history, we are hoping to see a bit more depth this fall.
Runner to Watch: Junior Chloe Inhelder had a breakout track and field season, coming within one second of breaking 19-minutes in the 5000 meters. Expecting her to run in the 18-minute range throughout the upcoming cross country season with hopes of an individual berth to the national cross country meet.
Concordia University
Head Coach: Matt Beisel
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 5th
Outlook: Concordia's women's cross country has the potential to be a top three team in the GPAC this year. Although we graduated standout Keri Bauer, we are returning Rylee Haecker, Kylahn Freiberg (formerly Heritage), Rhaya Kaschinske, Amie Martin, Kaia Richmond, Courtney Wright, and other strong returners. Our incoming class of 12 freshmen and transfers brings additional talent, experience, and depth to our returning squad. Hannah Beintema (Bettendorf HS, Iowa) and Trinity Christian College transfer Julie McIntyre (formerly O'Sullivan) are two newcomers bring the strongest past performances to the table. In addition, Sammi Vojslavek (Millard West HS, Neb.), Keegan Beisel (Seward HS, Neb.), Park University transfer Bella Marchisio, Laci Havlat (Norris HS, Neb.), and others will factor into our top ten.
Runner to Watch: Sophomore Rylee Haecker has done much in two years. Our top returner in cross country, she placed 7th at the 2021 GPAC Cross Country Championships and competed at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships. She was a two-time GPAC Champion at the Indoor Championships (Mile, 1000) and earned All-American honors in the 1000 (3rd) and the 4x800 Relay (3rd) at NAIA Indoor Nationals in 2022. At the GPAC Outdoor Championships, she was the 1500 Champion and earned All-American honors in the 1500 (7th) and 4x800 Relay (4th). A graduate of Bruning-Davenport-Shickley High School in Nebraska, Rylee is a positive team leader and outstanding student who gives credit to Christ for her successes.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 4th
Outlook: Concordia University Nebraska men's cross country has the potential to be a top three team in the GPAC this year. We return nearly all of our impact athletes from last year, including Camden Sesna and Calvin Rohde. Backing them up are sophomore returners Jack Ellis, Charlie Hayden, Nathan Pennekamp, Thomas Gorline, Micah Willweber, and Jackson Smith who all had very good track seasons. Our incoming class of 8 freshmen will add greatly to our depth and ability. Trevor Kuncl (Mullen HS, Neb.) and Jimmy Nguyen (Lincoln North Star HS, Neb.) bring the strongest past performances into play, but they are backed up by athletes like Aaron Jendro (Omaha Burke HS, Neb.), Hudson Opp (Lincoln Christian HS, Neb.), Ryan Garvey (Omaha Concordia HS, Neb.) and others.
Runner to Watch: Junior Camden Sesna had a breakout year in both cross country and track. He was 7th overall at the 2021 GPAC Cross Country Championships and competed at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships. He was 3rd in the 3000 at the GPAC Indoor Championships, and ran the 1200 leg of the 9th place Distance Medley Relay at NAIA Indoor Nationals. At the GPAC Outdoor Championships, he was Champion in the 5K and Runner-up in the 1500. He ran a season PR of 15:02.65 at UNK which predicts strong performances in cross country this fall. He competed in the 1500 (14th) at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. A graduate of Kearney Catholic High School in Nebraska, Camden has been a tremendous distance squad captain and student who leads by example, lives out his faith, and encourages others around him.
Dakota Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Matthew Rosado
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 11th
Outlook: Our women's team is looking to improve on previous conference standings and personal best as we look to build stability within the program.
Runner to Watch: Senior Annika Vermeulen has been the heart of the women's team since her arrival on campus, her work ethic and drive to push the program forward can be contagious. the
quality of work she has put in this summer will lead her to her best season in a DWU uniform thus far.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 9th
Outlook: Our men's program is eager to make a jump in the conference standings this year with two 9th place finishes the last two seasons they have set the goal of breaking into the top of the conference. They have been putting in the necessary work this summer to stay healthy and train hard with an emphasis on team communication and accountability. The seniors are looking to leave a legacy on the program and the standard for the future.
Runner to Watch: Sophomore Caleb Sayler is coming off a strong freshman season, Caleb has been driven to become one of the best runners in the GPAC. Carrying over the confidence from last track season. He has been putting together a strong summer and has showed to this point he is already in better fitness than all of last year. Caleb is poised for a breakout season.
Doane University
Head Coach: Brad Jenny
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 4th
Outlook: Lost our top girls from last year. We have two of our top five returning. We will be young but will have the pieces to put together a solid team by the end of the season.
Runner to Watch: Annika Pingel will be our featured runner. She is our top returning runner and an indoor NAIA All-American in the 800. Annika is a great team leader who will push the team to work hard and come together to help each other be the best that they can be.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 2nd
Outlook: We return a strong group of runners from last year. We also will be adding a strong group of newcomers. We will likely be led on the course by our freshmen. This group will take some time to come together and figure out the 8k race. I think they can be a strong team by the end of the season.
Runner to Watch: Luke Bonifas is our featured men's runner. Luke is coming into his freshman year after a solid high school career. With his work ethic and the way his times have been improving we believe he will have an immediate impact on our men's team.
Dordt University
Head Coach: Nate Wolf
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 1st
Outlook: The Dordt women return seven of their top ten runners from a team that finished 8th nationally and won the GPAC Championship in 2021. Included in that group is two-time All-American Jessica Kampman (2020, 2021) and former GPAC Champion Taylor Anema (2020). Kampman and Anema are joined by 2021 All-Conference Runner Margaret Myskowski and 2020 All-Conference Runner Bethany Ten Haken. Morningside Transfer and two-time All-Conference runner Kristine Honomichl (2020, 2021) will provide immediate depth to an already experienced group of women.
Runner to Watch: Junior Jessica Kampman (Abbottsford, British Columbia) is returning after a sophomore cross country season that saw her finish 20th at the NAIA Cross Country National Championship Meet, attaining her second consecutive All American award in cross country. The 2021 GPAC Runner-up in cross country finished off of a successful indoor track season that saw her set a school record in the 3,000m and run national qualifying marks in the 3,000m and 5,000m.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 1st
Outlook: The Dordt men return eight of their top ten runners from a team that finished 8th nationally and won their fourth consecutive GPAC team championship in 2021. Included in that group are two former individual GPAC champions Eric Steiger (2018) and Davis Tebben (2021). These two champions are joined by 2021 All Conference runners Joe Anderson (5th), Ethan Summerhays (6th), Brooks DeWaard (9th), Trey Engen (13th), and Peter Shippy (14th). That group will gain depth from returner Thaniel Schroeder and several talented underclassmen and newcomers.
Runner to Watch: Senior Joe Anderson (George-Little Rock, Iowa) finished 4th place at the 2021 GPAC Cross Country Championships. He is coming off prolific indoor and outdoor track and field seasons where he set three individual school records (mile, 3,000m, and 1500m) and was part of two relay school records (indoor and outdoor distance medley relays). The 1500m conference champion raced in the finals at the NAIA National Championship Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field meets in the mile and 1500m respectively.
Hastings College
Head Coach: Ryan Mahoney
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 2nd
Outlook: The Hastings College Cross Country women return their top 6 runners from last year's team which finished 2nd at GPAC and 19th at NAIA nationals. The women are led by Shania Santos, the 2021 GPAC Champion along with 2021 All-Conference runners Madison Gerken (4th) and Veronica Pinkerton (14th). The Hastings College women have put together a challenging schedule where they should see multiple nationally ranked teams especially at 3 of their meets this season - the Augustana Twilight Meet (9/2), Greeno/Dirksen Invite (9/17), and Live in Lou Cross Country Classic (10/1).
Runner to Watch: Sophomore Shania Santos returns after capturing the first women's GPAC Cross Country Championship in school history. She dealt with multiple injuries during indoor track and spent most of the outdoor season trying to work her way back into shape. Shania will look to return strong this fall and once again challenge to be one of the best runners in the conference.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 8th
Outlook: Four new freshman guys will add some depth to a team that was very thin last year. The Broncos will look to gain experience and try to move into the top half of the conference by the end of the year.
Runner to Watch: Zach Hole, 5th year Senior, returns with his Covid year of eligibility to lead a young team. Zach is coming off an All-Conference performance in the 10K and will look to improve his standing in the conference.
Midland University
Head Coach: Daniel Gerber
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 8th
Outlook: Our women's team will have a strong top two again this year, with juniors Myia Johnson and Madilynn Edwards leading the way. We have added a strong junior college transfer to help the duo, but our depth will be tested this season with two of our top five from 2021 recovering from off-season injuries.
Runner to Watch: Myia Johnson, Junior, Fremont, Neb. Myia has finished 27th and 23rd in her two GPAC cross country championships. She had a breakthrough sophomore track season, earning four All-GPAC individual honors between the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 6th
Outlook: Our men's team returns all seven of our runners from last year's GPAC meet, five of whom were Freshmen. In addition, we have made a couple of strong additions to the team with our incoming recruiting class. With stronger summers and more experience, we should be able to build upon what we did last year.
Runner to Watch: Jon Mahoney, Sophomore. Jon was our top runner last year during the cross country season, finishing 20th at the GPAC Championships. He gained a lot of championship race experience throughout the track season and will be looking to lead the team again this year.
Morningside University
Head Coach: Frank Wallace
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 3rd
Outlook: The Morningside women lost four of our top five but are reloading and ready shake things up this year. Returning fifth year senior Tenna Beel looks to go out her senior year with a strong finish. She had a strong track year and is bring the momentum on the course leading the Mustangs. Taylor Sporrer, whose battled some injuries, is healthy and primed for her best season yet. She's accompanied by freshmen sister Courtney Sporrer who's aiming to break in the Mustangs top five as well. Junior Monica Olson returns and is looking to take a step in running in the front pack for the Mustangs. Seniors Sarah Bosch and Rachel Kenny have been steady leaders on the Mustangs over their careers and are ready to score some points for their teams. Be on the look-out for returners Sarah Perez, Michelle Sanchez, as well as freshmen London Rogge and Nicole Zuehl to be in the mix.
Runner to Watch: Fifth year senior Tenna Beel returns for one final time looking to pave the way for the Mustangs. After improving throughout the year last cross country season, she had a terrific track season and is looking to take that momentum even farther on the course. She's a mentally strong runner with big goals hoping to take her outstanding foot speed and capitalize on it in her final years' races. She's been in her fair share of big races and has the nerves to handle to embrace and run in any race. She'll be looking to step into the shoes of those that paved the way for her and take charge as they taught her.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 5th
Outlook: The Mustang men lost two from our top five but are looking to use some new depth to take a step forward this year. A strong pack of veterans are expecting to be leading the charge including seniors: Justin Ambrose (Top finisher at conference last year), Garrett Hansen (third runner), Levi Son (fifth runner last year), and Tyler Janssen. The depth of this group will have them all battling to lead the Mustangs and they all have the talent and ability to step up and be the number one runner on any given day. A strong second pack will be led by junior Mason Welker, senior Tanner Arens and sophomore Kadyn Cline who are both looking to take a jump forward and contest in the top group.
Runner to Watch: Levi Son, a transfer in last season, has a year under his belt with the Mustangs and is looking to take a giant leap forward and try to take the reins for the Mustangs. He's been setting high goals and piling on the miles during the off-season positioning himself to have the best senior year he can and make the most of every opportunity and race. Levi has taken big strides every year of his running career and is poised to have the biggest senior breakthrough. A strength of Levi's is his hard work and ability to embrace the endurance side of cross country and that's one tool he's been developing even more this summer and will using every chance he can this season.
Mount Marty University
Head Coach: Dan Fitzsimmons
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 9th
Outlook: With seven returners that competed at last year's GPAC Championships, we hope to improve upon our individual and team finishes from a year ago. The women were led by Kiah Trainor at last year's league meet.
Runner to Watch: Kiah Trainor is the top returnee from last year's conference championships. She had top 25 finishes at the Red Raider XC Preview and the Morningside Invitational.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 7th
Outlook: The Lancers have six returnees from a squad that finished 7th in the GPAC. Like the women's squad, the men also hope to improve upon their individual team finishes from a year ago. The men are led by Brian Santiago who finished 19th at the league meet.
Runner to Watch: Senior Brian Santiago returns to lead the Lancers this fall. Brian had 6 top 20 finishes last fall. With a good summer of training, he should be primed to make a run at qualifying for the NAIA Championships in November. Last spring Brian finished 23rd in the half-marathon at the NAIA Outdoor Championships. He also finished 3rd in the 10K at the GPAC Outdoor Championships.
Northwestern College
Head Coach: Scott Bahrke
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 6th
Outlook: Our women will be more experienced this year compared to last year. We have 7 ladies returning that competed at the GPAC XC Championship in 2021. Hoping to move up in the conference standings.
Runner to Watch: Katlyn Wiese is a junior for the Red Raiders. She earned All-American honors in the women's half marathon at the 2022 NAIA OTF National Championship. She was All-Conference in the 5K and 10K at the GPAC OTF Championship. She was All-Conference at the GPAC XC Championship run on her home Northwestern College course in Orange City in November 2021.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 3rd
Outlook: Our men's team will be young this year. The top 5 scorers from the GPAC XC Championship all graduated for Northwestern College. Our guys work hard and enjoy pushing each other to new limits. We want to stay healthy and have our best meet in Jamestown, North Dakota onNovember 5.
Runner to Watch: Joseph Kunert is a senior for Northwestern College Red Raiders. He was chosen as captain for our men's team this year by his teammates. His character, work ethic and compassion make him a wonderful leader for our team on and off the course. Joseph is our top returner from the GPAC XC Championship in 2021. He was All-Conference in the mile at the GPAC Indoor Championship and in the steeple chase at the GPAC Outdoor Championship.
University of Jamestown
Head Coach: Jim Clark
Women
2021 GPAC Finish: 10th
Outlook: Prospects to improve depend on everyone staying healthy, as we will struggle to compete with five runners if we have any injuries at all. Our top runner from 2 years ago missed last season with knee pain and had meniscus surgery this summer, so may or may not be available. I would hope we could place higher than last year in the GPAC, but the league should be stronger overall and we need health and luck.
Runner to Watch: Paige Erbstoesser - Sophomore West Fargo, North Dakota . Paige was 51st in the GPAC XC Meet as a freshman. Her best 5k time was 20:07. She got experience in the 10k and Steeplechase in track and should be better for having a year behind her. She is a hard worker and now knows more about what it takes to compete in the GPAC.
Men
2021 GPAC Finish: 10th
Outlook: Our men were mostly freshmen last year, so I think we have a chance to move up a couple notches. We have two new freshmen who I think can make an impact and our sophomores should be better for having experienced the 8k race for a season. We have almost nowhere to go but up, as our top GPAC place was 48th.
Runner to Watch: Drew Hjelmstad - Sophomore - Maple Grove, MN. Drew as a freshman, led our team in every race and adjusted to the 8k much quicker than our other rookies. Drew runs aggressively and sometimes that hurt him as he learned his pace in the longer race. He should improve from his 48th place GPAC finish a year ago.