BURNSVILLE – The Southwest Minnesota State University men’s cross country team was picked 11th, while the women’s team was picked 13th, in the annual Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ poll released on Tuesday.

SMSU, under the direction of first-year head coach Kirk Nauman, enters its eighth season of men’s and women’s cross country since reinstating the program in the summer of 2012. The SMSU men’s team received 48 points in the poll while the women’s team garnered 60 points.

The University of Sioux Falls was the top choice in the men’s poll, with Mason Phillips from USF named Preseason Athlete of the Year.

UMary was selected the preseason favorite on the women’s side with UMary’s, Ida Narbuvoll named the women’s NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year honor.

On the 14-team men’s side, Sioux Falls earned 162 points, earning nine first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for own school), while Augustana was second with 161 points and five first-place votes. MSU Moorhead (139), Minnesota State (129) and Minnesota Duluth (124) rounded out the top five.

SMSU junior Clayton Hartle, a native of Chandler, was named an “NSIC Athlete to Watch”.

The SMSU men’s team placed 10th at the 2018 NSIC Championships.

UMary led the 16-team women’s poll with 223 points and 13 first-place votes. Augustana was second with 212 points and three first place votes, followed by Minnesota Duluth (185), Minnesota State (184) and Sioux Falls (169).

SMSU senior Kayla Jansky, a native of Two Rivers, Wis., was named an “NSIC Athlete to Watch”. Jansky is one of the team’s top returning after leading SMSU at the NSIC Championship last season with a 56th place finish.

The SMSU women’s team finished 12th at the 2018 NSIC Championships.

The SMSU’s men’s and women’s cross country teams will open the 2019 season at the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sept. 6.

– Content courtesy of

SMSU Athletic Communications