BISMARCK, N.D. -- The Bismarck State College men's and women's cross country teams opened their fall campaigns Friday at the Marauders Home Opener at McDowell Dam, with both squads turning in fifth-place finishes against a loaded regional field that included NCAA Division I and II programs.
Men Pack Up for Fifth
Racing an 8-kilometer course, the Mystic men held their own in a seven-team field that included North Dakota State and cross-town rival University of Mary, finishing fifth with 127 points and outrunning junior college foes Dawson Community College and Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College.
Sophomore Derek Oswald set the tone in his collegiate cross country debut, leading BSC across the line in 30th place out of 63 runners with a time of 28:16.8. Junior Michael Pfliger followed closely behind as the second Mystic finisher, clocking a solid 28:29.6.
Sophomore Xavier Bell (28:56.0) rounded out the top three Mystic finishers, while sophomore Noah Bedlion (29:43.7) and freshman Reid Ressler (29:56.8) closed out BSC's scoring five. Freshman Nathaniel Schumacher added depth with a 30:54.2 time.
Crane Sisters Lead Women's Charge
The Mystic women covered 6 kilometers and matched their male counterparts with a fifth-place finish, posting a team score of 128.
Sophomore Brynn Crane paced BSC with a 35th-place finish in 25:11.6, and sister Macy Crane wasn't far behind, crossing just 13.6 seconds later in 25:25.2 to give the Mystics two runners inside the top 40.
Freshman Sundriana Shane turned in a breakout performance as BSC's third finisher, clocking 27:08.0, while freshmen Rutendo Masangwi (31:29.1) and Isabella Johnson (34:45.1) battled to the finish to lock down the Mystics' scoring five.
Up Next
BSC returns to action Friday, Oct. 2, at the Jimmie Invitational in Jamestown, N.D., before closing out the regular season with the Marauders Tune-Up at McDowell Dam later this fall.
Be sure to visit BSCMystics.com and download the MysticNation app to continue to stay up to date with everything going on in Mystic Athletics.
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