The Jacks thrilled the home crowd at Frost Arena with an exciting 84-78 victory against Alabama State on Monday night. The win snapped a six- game losing streak for the Jacks, giving them their first win of the season and sending Alabama State to 4-4.

Matt Cadwell led SDSU with a dominating perfomance. The sophomore guard scored 15 in the first half and gave the Jacks the lead for good late in the first half, with a dazzling underhanded reverse lay up. Cadwell went 7-for-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 on three-point field goals, finishing with 23 points.

Big man Michael Loney was a force inside, grabbing 11 rebounds and scoring 16 points. Loney did major damage at the charity stripe, sinking 8-of-9 free throws.

Andy Kleinjan also topped double digits for the Jacks, finishing with 12 points, mostly through three-pointers.

Alabama State was led by Isaac Wells with 18 points and Adrian Banks with 16.

The win was the turning point the Jacks were looking for. In recent games, the Jacks had been able to hang tough, but could not quite turn the corner for a victory. SDSU had yet to turn in a complete team performance for the win. Against the University of Northern Iowa, Cadwell scored 25 points, but no other Jack reached double digits. Against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cadwell scored 12 and freshman guard Garrett Callahan was the only other person to reach double digits, with 11.

The Jacks hope to take their first win and turn it into a streak, but it will not be easy. The Jacks face Utah State Nov. 29 at Frost Arena. The Aggies enter with an impressive 4-1 record, and are the only NCAA Tournament qualifier the Jacks face at home this season.

Junior guard Jaycee Carroll leads the Aggies, averaging 23 points a game. Utah State has been on a roll so far. An opening-game loss to fellow NCAA qualifier Northwestern State is the only blemish on the Aggies’ schedule. Utah State followed that loss with three straight wins in the BP Top of the World Classic tournament in Fairbanks, Alaska, giving them the tournament championship. In the Aggies’ most recent contest, they defeated Weber State 77-68.

The Jacks cannot get used to the home court advantage, because after this game, their next five contests will be on the road, including trips to Minnesota, Green Bay and Kansas City. After the Utah State game, the next Jacks home game will take place Dec. 22 against Montana State.

#1.883942:1832285038.jpg:sdsuvsarkansas08.jpg:A rebounded ball is just out of reach for Michael Loney and Garrett Callahan of the Jacks on Nov. 27.:
#1.883941:4016497855.jpg:sdsuvsarkansas07.jpg:Blake Yackley of South Dakota State is fouled by Arkansas State defender Yual Banks during their game Monday evening at Frost Arena. The Jacks defeated the Indians, 84-78.:

Matt Cadwell led the Jacks’ attack with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the Jackrabbits earned a 67-56 victory Sunday, Dec. 3, against the Denver Pioneers.

The win is the second on the year for SDSU, after defeating Arkansas State last week.

Denver took early control, establishing a quick lead. After falling behind 17-11, the Jacks struck back with an 18-2 run. The Jacks never trailed again, and took a 32-27 lead into halftime.

The second half went much the same for the Jacks, who improved their lead to 18 points before surviving a late Pioneer charge.

Kai Williams scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Jacks. Williams went 4-for-5 from the field, including two three-pointers. Michael Loney added 10 points, and also went 4-for-5 from the field. Freshman guard Garrett Callahan dropped nine and added three assists for SDSU.

However, the real story for the Jacks this season has been the outstanding play of sophomore guard Cadwell. After an early season slump, Cadwell has hit double figures in every game since Idaho.

Loney and Williams have also stepped up their play so far for the Jacks in the early season stretch. The pair has been big on the boards, and has helped provide additional scoring punches for Cadwell to go off of. Williams, a freshman from Canada, has adjusted quickly and become an immediate contributor. Loney, a junior from Iowa, has grown with the system and is starting to come into his own.

The Jacks have upcoming games with Minnesota, Thursday, Dec. 7, and Montana, Sunday, Dec. 10. The Golden Gophers are ripe for an upset, as they are coming off a turbulent week. After losing five games in a row, they pulled off a victory against Arizona State. The Gophers sustained a bigger loss with the resignation of their coach, Dan Monson. Interim coach Jim Molinari stepped in to take control. Molinari has some D-1 coaching experience. He coached at Bradley for 11 seasons.

Montana has a 3-4 record with two games to come before they take on South Dakota State. The Grizzlies defeated the Golden Gophers, 72-65, on Nov. 26. Like the Jacks, the Grizzlies are a young team, looking to gain some experience this year, to truly compete next year.

The Jacks have a tough month ahead of them. Five of the next six games are on the road, including an intriguing matchup with the University of Missouri-Kansas City. UMKC is a member of Mid-Continent Conference, which the Jacks will join next season. This is the first opportunity the Jacks will have to athletically impress their soon-to-be counterparts. UMKC has played a tough schedule this year that included quite a few tournament teams, and the game will likely challenge the Jacks.

Another interesting game of note is a late month visit to Moscow, Idaho, where the Jacks will look to extract some revenge for a home opening loss dealt by the Vandals on Nov. 16. The Vandals 74-66 victory featured an enticing scoring battle between Vandals’ Keoni Watson and the Jacks’ Cadwell. Watson’s team won the game, and he won the individual battle, dropping 26 points, as Cadwell kept pace, but finished with 20.

#1.883900:4288502126.jpg:sdsuvsutah04.jpg:Blake Yackley of South Dakota State looks for an open teammate around Utah State defender Jaycee Carroll during their game on Nov. 31.:
#1.883899:1893575886.jpg:sdsuvsutah02.jpg:Matt Cadwell drives around Utah State defender Durrall Peterson on Nov. 29.:

Building off last year’s season, the South Dakota State equestrian team seeks to improve in only its second season of competition.

Last year was a difficult beginning for the program. However, for Head Coach Megan McGee, it was a learning experience.

“We learned that we have a group of real solid competitors. Almost all of them were starting collegiate careers. [We] only had two with experience,” she said.

The Jacks’ lack of experience, combined with a difficult schedule, in which the Jacks faced the past two champions, Auburn and South Carolina, easily could have sent the team into a tailspin. Instead, they came out prepared for every event.

“We weren’t slacking off,” McGee said.

She attributes a great deal of the team’s competitive nature to the scheduling.

“I didn’t start with a warm-up schedule. We went up against some of the top teams in the country. They handled that well. We had some very good riders and wins last season,” McGee said.

The team pushed South Carolina to the brink before falling short, but McGee doesn’t seem disappointed.

“I’m extremely happy with the effort they put in, they exceeded expectations,” she said.

Last year, the Jacks took their spills, but kept the old adage true by always getting back on the horse. The experience should pay big dividends for the 2006 campaign. McGee is assured that the team will be ready for the competition.

“They worked hard over the summer preparing for the season,” she said.

With a year under their belt and a growing program, the Jacks are just waiting to explode.

“It was tough being the new kid on the block, but we feel pretty seasoned,” said McGee.

For a young program, the equestrian team is growing rapidly. The team has doubled its roster for this season compared to last year. Even with twice as many riders, McGee is short of her goal of 60 riders, but not due to lack of interest.

“We turned away riders, over a dozen more. We just don’t have enough room for the horses and practices. These were qualified riders and students. It is the hardest part of my job,” said McGee.

To alleviate the space problem, the equestrian team will receive a new, larger equestrian center.

“[There has been] no groundbreaking as of yet, but they are going through the steps and working with architects and engineers in the process for a larger equestrian center,” said McGee.

She sees the equestrian center as a major positive for the program, as it will help her reach her target roster of 60 riders. She estimates that with the addition of the center, the program could easily boast that number.

“Sixty is a very workable number with our time and space as well. We will have to turn away qualified people, as we are bombarded with requests from all over the country from people looking for a good program and school,” said McGee.

With a year of experience and their space needs taken care of, the team can turn to building rivalries with other equestrian programs. Part of the beauty of sports is the evolution of rivalries. Some have a meaning, but others are regional battles for pride and bragging rights. The Jacks have developed a rivalry against one of the better programs in the nation, the University of Nebraska.

“UNL will have some good riders-some that won individual championships. We are going to be fighting hard against them,” she said.

Of course, what would an SDSU sport be without the inevitable clash of the Dakotas? North Dakota State University and SDSU will renew an old rivalry, in a new sport, when the two schools collide later this year.

The season began with a meet at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Sept. 23 and 24. The team finished second, behind Nebraska.

Becka Manshiem led the Jackrabbit cross-country team to a third-place finish at the SDSU Classic Saturday, Sept. 30. Manshiem finished fifth, behind four members of the first-place Minnesota Golden Gophers nationally-ranked team. The Gophers finished with 18 total points, almost three times fewer than second-place finisher Nebraska’s 49 points. A total of nine teams raced on Saturday.

The men’s cross-country team did not fare as well, finishing last out of seven teams in the field. Zach Frohling finished 17th, completing a time of 25:47.2. Jared Beinlein was the next finisher for the Jacks, coming in 26th place. Minnesota State won the meet on the men’s side, finishing six points ahead of North Dakota State University.

#1.884208:4204545934.jpg:xcountry01.jpg:Becka Mansheim of South Dakota State races during Saturday morning’s SDSU Classic at Edgebrook Golf Course.:

After losing one game and tying another game at the North Dakota State Bison Invitational soccer tournament, the Jackrabbit women’s soccer team returns to action at Fishback Soccer Park on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. The Jacks will attempt to exact revenge from the Drake University Bulldogs.

Last season, the Jacks traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to play Drake, where the Bulldogs handed SDSU a 2-0 loss. The Bulldogs scored quickly to gain the early advantage. Sarah Foote scored on an early drive past the Jacks’ keeper Jenn Davis, just one minute and 34 seconds into the game.

Melissa Nelson put the game away for good for the Bulldogs early in the second half, scoring after beating a defender to the loose ball. Nelson and Foote will attempt to duplicate last season’s performances as both players make the trip to Brookings.

In last year’s game, the Jackrabbits failed to give the Bulldogs a serious offensive challenge, only mustering three shots on the goal.

However, much has changed for the Jackrabbits in a season. They enter the game with a 3-2-1 record, coming off a tough tournament in Fargo, N.D. The Jackrabbits battled Weber State, the defending Big Sky Conference champions, to a 2-2 draw in the opening game of the Bison Invitational. Vanessa Paswaters and Erin Krasmarik scored goals for SDSU.

The second game did not go as well for the Jacks, who fell to Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, 3-0. The Jacks fired 18 shots, but could not manage a goal.

Despite not winning a game in the tournament, two Jacks, Paswaters and Kerstyn Farrell, were named to the Bison Invitational all-tournament team.

The Jacks return to Brookings with little momentum, but Drake does not enter the match with much either. The Bulldogs have lost their last two matches, to the University of Southern California and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, by a combined score of 7-1.

After getting shut out in the previous game, the Jackrabbits should have some quality chances on the goal against Drake. The Bulldogs have given up 12 goals in six games this season. Even though they have given up a high number of goals, Drake has shown the ability to compete with the top teams in the country. Drake battled nationally-ranked Marquette University to a 0-0 draw earlier in the season.

Coach Lang Wedemeyer knows not to underestimate the Bulldogs.

“Drake will be a quality opponent. They are close to making the NCAA tournament every year,” said Wedemeyer.

He said the Bulldogs will be one of the better teams the Jacks will face this year.

“This is one of the biggest games we have played at home since moving up to D-1,” Wedemeyer said.

The soccer game should be exciting, but quality sport is not the only reason to attend the game. Various promotions will take place. Jacks Fan-addicts t-shirts will be given away to everyone who signs up for the Jacks Fan-addicts Club. Every time the Jacks score a goal, a t-shirt will be thrown into the stands.

In addition to the t-shirts, two sponsors will give away free items. Burger King certificates will be given out as freshman freebies. When an upperclassman brings a freshman to a game, both sign up for a prize in different prize pools.

Also, Cubby’s is sponsoring a Magic Minute. If an SDSU player scores in the last minute of the first half, one lucky fan will win a $25 gift certificate to the restaurant. The final promotion is in conjunction with the volleyball game. Anyone who attends both the soccer and volleyball games will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Karoline Brause’s 89th-minute goal off the corner kick may not seem too big on the surface. However, by scoring the only Jackrabbit goal in a 3-1 loss to Drake, the senior from Fergus Falls, Minn., scored the first goal of her collegiate career.

Drake’s Sarah Foote opened the scoring in the 31st minute, with an assist from teammate Blair Nelson. Katie Sauer added to the Jackrabbits woes by adding a goal right before half, putting the Bulldogs up 2-0.

Justine Hickman netted the final goal for the Bulldogs early in the second half. SDSU missed a couple of second-half chances before Brause finally got them on the board late in the half.

Coach Lang Wedemeyer saw Brause’s play against Drake as a big positive.

“The score reinforces the work effort we try to preach every day at practice,” said Wedemeyer.

Brause’s goal kept the Jackrabbits from being shutout for the third time this season. Despite the lopsided 3-1 score, Wedemeyer said, “The score line was not indicative of the game.”

The Jacks had opportunities, with 14 shots taken, but the difference in the game was converting those shots.

“We missed quality opportunities to score, but it’s obvious we are doing some good things on the field. That’s the next step from losing to winning those types of games,” said Wedemeyer.

The weather may have gotten colder, but it has not chilled the women’s enthusiasm to go out there and play.

“They are eager to get back on the field, to prove themselves again. They really want to show what they are capable of, especially after falling back to 3-3,” said Wedemeyer.

The team gets the chance to prove themselves this weekend, with two games in Wisconsin. On Friday, the team travels to Green Bay to take on Wisconsin-Green Bay. On Sunday, the Jacks face Wisconsin-Milwaukee, fresh from a victory over nationally-ranked Missouri. The team has faced both of these schools in the past and is looking for their first wins against the two programs.

The Jackrabbits’ next home showing is against rival North Dakota State on Oct. 4, at Fishback Soccer Park.

#1.884302:2520518251.jpg:SlideTackle.jpg:SDSU player, Erin Sakata (#20), slide tackles a Drake player.:Christy Wey

ith the Daktronics/Warren Williamson Open on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Frost Arena.

The meet is an individual meet. Schools will not wrestle against each other, but individuals from each registered school will compete in weight-class tournaments.

This season the Jacks hope to reclaim some of last year’s success. The Jacks were led by sophomore heavyweight Jason Stripling, who led the team with 26 victories.

Experience will help the Jacks as the trio of middleweights, Andy Everson, Nate Althoff, and Travis Gottschalk return with a combined 224 duals between them. Althoff has previously won at the Daktronics open.

This is the first season SDSU has an opportunity to send qualifiers to the NCAA postseason.

“I like the fact that we are competing in the Western Wrestling Conference and have a chance to advance to the NCAA Division-I National Championships come March,” Coach Jason Liles said.

Liles enjoys being able to compete for the postseason.

“We hope to have a couple (wrestlers). I’m not really sure, because I don’t know how the other teams stack up. We have some kids that should have an opportunity to qualify out of the Western Regional, March 3, at Northern Iowa,” said Liles.

Liles felt that SDSU’s move to the Western Wrestling Conference this year allows the team to feel more like it belongs.

“With a conference, we get things like dual meets that decide dual champions, conference wrestler of the week, conference wrestler of the season and other things normally associated with conferences,” he said.

The Jackrabbits held an intrasquad meet Oct. 28. Transfer student Jeff Cooley set the tone with an 11-3 win against Alan Marvin in the 125-pound class.

Dan Bonte added a 7-1 decision versus Nick Kulseth. Dustin Kavitz won at the 141-pound class, taking down Tyler Cuka, 21-9, in the third match of the night.

Brad Gregory posted a second period takedown to secure a 7-3 win against Nick Herrboldt. Sean Flynn downed Marc Wermersen, 14-5, at 149 pounds.

In an exciting win, Chris Moran scored a late one-point escape to upend Ryan Meyer, 2-1, in the 174-pound match.

At 157 pounds, Andy Everson won, 17-6, against Justin Retallic, after landing a three-point near fall late in the second period. Tyler Sorenson recorded two takedowns to defeat Levi Krehmeyer at 184.

Stripling pinned Seth Fischer in 2 minutes, 58 seconds, in a heavyweight battle. Heavyweight Thomas Strubel followed by pinning Jake Temple in 3 minutes, 24 seconds.

Five home dual matches and matches against Nebraska, Pacific University and Portland State highlight the 2006-07 schedule. Included in the schedule are matchups against Western Wrestling Conference members Utah Valley State, University of Northern Colorado, University of Wyoming, Air Force, Northern Iowa and North Dakota State. SDSU will be tested early in the year at the Harold Nichols Open, Ashland Open, Northern Iowa Open and North Carolina State and Virginia duals.

Five hundred and seventy-two. It is not a record, just a number – a number the soccer team absolutely loathed.

The counter reached more than 572 minutes when Kelsey Worcester fired the shot heard round Fishback Soccer Park Oct. 13.

She broke the 0-0 deadlock against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne with a goal in the 32nd minute of Friday’s match-up.

The goal marked the first for the Jacks since a game against Drake University Sept. 15.

“You would have thought we won the World Cup when we scored that goal,” said Coach Lang Wedemeyer.

He knew firsthand how rough the scoreless streak was. Last year, the Jacks had the same difficulty, enduring a seven game scoreless streak.

“This year, we were playing pretty good soccer, and we created more opportunities than last year. In one regard, we felt better with our play, but at the same time, it was almost more frustrating because we felt like we deserved to win, and we felt like we were creating lots of good chances to score,” Wedemeyer said.

Worcester’s goal broke the scoreless streak of five games, but the Jacks did not quit there. Taking Worcester’s lead, Kellyn Farrell scored early in the second half, and Worcester scored again late, burying IPFW in a 3-0 deficit.

The shutout marked the third of the season.

On Sunday afternoon, the Jacks faced the University of Minnesota.

Farrell helped SDSU overcome an early Gopher goal by tying the game in the 39th minute. The Jacks were unable to cash in on numerous second-half opportunities, and a late goal by the Gophers allowed them to escape town with a victory.

The loss dropped the Jacks to 4-9-2. The team looks to continue its newfound scoring attack in Orem, Utah, against conference foe Utah Valley State. This will be the last real tune up before the conference tournament in Washington D.C., Nov. 2-5.

The eight-team United Soccer Conference is divided into two regions, east and west. SDSU plays in the west region with North Dakota State, IPFW and Utah Valley State. The Jacks are 1-1 in conference games this season.

The east division consists of South Carolina State, Delaware State, Howard and Longwood. The Jacks have yet to face any of them this season. While the conference tournament winner does receive an automatic bid to the NCAA postseason, it could give the winner quite a bit of confidence heading into next season.

Heading into the final few games of the season, Wedemeyer is happy with his team’s accomplishments.

“We have improvements, tremendous improvements in our quality of play, it’s just a struggle to get the results we deserve.”

#1.884090:1070558988.JPG:Girls05.JPG:University of Minnesota’s Clare Grimwood (7) and South Dakota State’s Jessica Heine (15), Kelly Larson (14) and Natasha Swift (7) battle for the ball Sunday afternoon.:Erin Lester

Freshmen look to play a key role in South Dakota State’s 2006 men’s basketball season. More than half of the roster entered the season with no NCAA experience, other than practice and the past two exhibition games. Coach Scott Nagy knows better than anyone that great results are expected.

“I think we are going to see some inconsistent play. My goal is that by Christmas, we know what we are going to get from them. From Christmas on, we should be playing good basketball,” he said.

The injury bug wasted no time in striking the Jacks, as a few players have gone down early. Mike Loney was held out of the first exhibition game, and Blake Yackley went down with a high-ankle sprain and is out for several weeks. Freshman point guard Garrett Callahan also suffered a hand injury and will miss the first few weeks of the season.

In the first exhibition game, a staggering Jacks team held off Southwest Minnesota State on a late three-pointer by Matt Cadwell.

Nagy was pleased with the results.

“Normally, I wouldn’t be pleased playing them close, but SWMS is good, and they’ll win 20 games this year. I think it was great for our kids to be in a close game to understand what a college game is like,” he said.

The season schedule includes a few of last season’s NCAA Tournament qualifiers. The opening game of the season on Nov. 10 is against Kent State, who finished 25-9 and lost to Pittsburgh in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. On Nov. 22, SDSU pays a visit to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, of the Horizon Conference, to take on the Panthers. Last season, the Panthers qualified for the big dance, but fell to Oklahoma on the first day.

The Jacks travel to Iowa on Nov. 24 to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers. Last year, UNI, led by Casey Jacobsen, made the tourney but fell to Georgetown in the first round.

On Nov. 29, Jacks fans will have the chance see an NCAA qualifier live in Frost Arena. The Jacks will take on Utah State, the only team that qualified for the NCAA Tournament that the Jacks get to play at home this season.

SDSU has other action-packed games on the schedule as well. The Jackrabbits travel to the Twin Cities to take on Minnesota for a Dec. 7 match-up. Last season, Cadwell led the game with 16 points, as they fell 80-61.

Idaho comes to town on Nov. 16, in the first home game of the year, as part of a home-and-home series. The Jacks will then travel to Moscow, Idaho, on Dec. 30 to complete the series.

Fans should also anticipate the five games the Jacks play against future Mid-Continent Conference opponents. The Jacks have one game with the University of Missouri-Kansas City and four with fellow conference newcomers North Dakota State University and Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne.

Despite the intriguing storyline these games present, Nagy feels these games are of no more importance than any others.

“We need to get better this year and get better in two years. We know we will be able to compete in the league, so there is no extra pressure,” Nagy said.

Nagy considers the upcoming season a learning process.

“It’s nearly impossible to count on a basketball team of five freshman,” he said.

Nagy is, however, counting on his returning players to be leaders during this rebuilding process.

#1.884018:1264063623.jpg:sdsuvsswms03.jpg:Ryan Hoogeveen, 34, drives around Southwest Minnesota State defender Travis Krenske, 25, during their exhibition game Oct. 31.:

Cross country, as a sport, is a bit of an enigma. The competition itself is nearly completely individual. Yet, at the same time, a team strategy is important to succeed. The runners must work as a unit to finish as high as possible. That kind of commitment is formed through bonding and coaching.

Coach Rod DeHaven knows all about SDSU cross country. DeHaven not only coaches the current team, but was a former SDSU runner. He placed third in 1986 and 1987 in nationals. Now, as the coach of the team, he uses his experience and knowledge to help get his team in the best position to win.

“It’s a bit like tug-of-war, to get people through the race,” DeHaven said.

His game is a tough one. He needs to find a way to get everyone ready for one long run. Perhaps he may not have the game-day tactics, but the practices are designed for coaching.

“A lot of my coaching comes in the preparation for the race. I look for the strengths and weaknesses in our team,” he said.

He uses some different strategies based on the different races and competitors. He takes his team all over the county to get them ready for the different terrains on which they might compete. Typically, the Jacks run on golf courses.

Few members join the team to become superstars. The team truly comes first in this individually-paced sport. Everyone else is just playing their designated roles.

“I tend to run, based off of my teammates. I try to stay with them,” said runner Shannon Hattervig.

A junior at SDSU, Hattervig has been running cross country and track for the past two years. A former two-sport athlete from Rapid City, she enjoys running. She, like other runners, is here on a track/cross-country scholarship. The athletes typically use the weaker season to build and prepare for the stronger one. Hattervig is no exception, as she uses cross country to prepare herself for track.

“It’s an individual and team-oriented sport. With track and cross country, you run with a lot of determination and desire,” Hattervig said.

Most runners’ biggest fear is hitting the wall during the race. The wall means different things to different people. Most people compare it to a mental block. Everything slows down, and your body can feel the fatigue and the pain. Hattervig describes the wall like an enemy.

“For me, it is when my legs feel like two logs and I can’t move them. I hope to catch a second wind to get going. It can happen at anytime. I think it’s more mental then physical,” said Hattervig, who finished 32nd in the SDSU Classic.

Cross country only has one home meet per year, but it is certainly an interesting one for both the coaches and the runners. Edgebrook, the site of the SDSU Classic, is a course that the Jackrabbits are used to running.

“We practice on the course and we are pretty used to it,” said Hattervig.

For her, the Classic is one of the most exciting races of the year because of the fan support and no travel time. She enjoys the support and cheering the crowd gives as the athletes run by.

One local fan, Emilie Smithback watched the SDSU Classic with her husband and daughter.

“Really it’s not hard. You find a spot where you know they’ll run by. You get there and just start screaming. Once they go by, you run to another spot where they will pass and you cheer again. Finally you want to get to the finish line, where you continue screaming,” said Smithback.

Cross country is truly an enigma, a sport where the coach’s practices are all he has, where there are no timeouts, and only one shot to take the prize. Cross country is a sport with athletes that put their bodies through rigorous workouts every day, where most runners are mere role players and not superstars and a good team finish means more than individual success.

#1.884168:3174841694.jpg:xcountry02.jpg:SDSU’s Zach Frohling jumps out in front of the pack early in the SDSU Classic at Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings, S.D. on Sept. 30.: