Editor’s Note: Welcome to Bison Illustrated’s 2014-15 Yearbook! Monday, we’ll be releasing our highlights from the soccer team and men’s and women’s cross country team.
Women’s Cross Country Team
Long Distance Coach Andrew Carlson Quote
“This year was tough for us because we had a lot of women on the team that weren’t even expected to count for our cross country team and they did a great job of stepping up. A second place finish at the beginning of the season seemed farfetched so ending up doing it was awesome.”
Highlight/Impact Performer
This fall, sophomore Erin Teschuk wrote her own chapter in the Bison history book. She claimed the title of “Most Successful Season in Bison Women’s Cross Country History” when she finished in 116th-place at the NCAA Championships, beating more than half the field. But her most remarkable performance of the season arrived a week prior to the NCAA Championships. Teschuk broke her own school record by 55 seconds when she placed second in the NCAA Midwest Regional with a time of 20:07.4. Her second place finish propelled her to the NCAA Championships, the first Bison in history to qualify for the meet. Teschuk won the Summit League Individual Championship by 13 seconds. The signs of a special season occurred during the Stanford Invitational back in September. Teschuk finished third among collegiate runners and broke NDSU’s old record running the 6K-course in 21:02. Teschuk has two years of cross-country eligibility left.
(Photo courtesy of Richard Svaleson) Taylor Janssen is emerging as a complementary star next to League champion Erin Teschuk.
The Future Is Now
Moorhead native Taylor Janssen was the second fastest Bison runner during the Summit League Championships and the NCAA Midwest Regionals. She placed 10th out of 64 runners in the Summit League Championships and placed 103rd out of 222 in the NCAA Midwest Regionals. Janssen has two years of eligibility left.
Chew on This
During the NCAA Midwest Regional, the top five finishing runners for the Bison completed the course in Perioa, Ill., with career best times. Erin Teschuk, Taylor Janssen, Paige Stratioti, Ashley Heinze and Tarin Lachowitzer all broke personal records and have at least one year left of eligibility on the cross-country team.
(Photo courtesy of Richard Svaleson)
Men’s Cross Country Team
Andrew Carlson Quote
“I think that that (SDSU Classic win) established we had just as good of a chance as anybody to win in the conference meet. I look back at a lot of the moments and I’m happy with how it went.”
Highlight
The Bison cross country team finished in 16th place at the NCAA Midwest Regional for its highest finish since 2011, and it was the team’s third-highest finish ever in NDSU’s Division I era. Brett Kelly led the charge for NDSU placing 54th overall and ran his personal best 10K time, 31:04. Seniors Lucas DeGree and Marty Joyce finished 72nd and 73rd.
Impact Performers
All eight Bison runners at the Stanford Invitational ran career-best times, but seniors Brett Kelly, Marty Joyce and Lucas DeGree led the group. DeGree and Kelly were each the top finishers for the Bison, while Joyce was the top finisher at the Summit League Championships, finishing eighth overall.
The Future Is Now
Redshirt freshman Brant Gilbertson and junior Brendan Skime were the usual suspects finishing behind the seniors. Skime ran the fastest 6K on the team at the season-opening Bison Open.
(Photo courtesy of Richard Svaleson) Brandt Gilbertson leads the way during the Ron Pynn Invitational.
Chew on This
NDSU won two of its first four meets of the season and were ranked as high as No. 13 in the Midwest Regional this season. It was the highest the Bison have been ranked since October 2011 when they were ranked No. 12. They defeated Summit League favorites South Dakota and South Dakota State at the SDSU Classic for their first title of the year. Lucas DeGree’s first individual championship propelled the Bison to their third straight Ron Pynn Invitational in Grand Forks.
