VERMILLION, S.D.—The pack mentality boded well for the South Dakota women's cross country team as the Coyotes captured the program's fourth-straight Summit League Championship title on Saturday at The Bluffs Course. The Coyote men finished third with four all-league finishers.
 
The Coyotes became just the second women's program in the league's 26-year history to capture four Summit League titles. South Dakota's pack of seven runners finished in order from fourth through 10th place and each earned all-Summit League honors.
 
Junior Megan Billington led the pack of Coyotes for the fifth time this season with a fourth-place finish. Billington clocked in at 21 minutes, 17.37 seconds, just six seconds off of her personal best. A two-time second-team finisher, Billington garners first-team all-Summit honors for the first time of her career.
 
Junior Lindsay Joyce dropped a personal best time of 21:27.09 to capture fifth place in the race. Joyce improved from her 12th-place finish a year ago. Junior Madeline Huglen and sophomore Kianna Stewart crossed the finish line together in sixth and seventh, respectively, with a time of 21:31. The duo picked up all-Summit first team honors for the first time of their careers and both recorded a new personal best.
 
Rounding out the Coyote scorers was freshman Laura Nelson in eighth place. Nelson finished the race in 21:34.38 to earn a spot on the all-Summit League second team.
 
Although they did not count in the Coyote's team score, USD pushers senior Erin Wetzstein and junior Bethany Kozak also made the all-Summit second team. Wetzstein took ninth in 21:34.96 and Kozak clocked 21:39.30.
 
Wetzstein becomes the first Coyote to finish her career a perfect 4-for-4 at the Summit League Cross Country Championships. She was a member of the Coyotes' conference roster in 2014 and 2015 and then posted a breakout junior season where she placed fourth.
 
Also competing for the Coyote women were sophomore Julia Noah in 16th and senior Nicole Schmidt in 26th.
 
After a narrow five-point victory over North Dakota State a year ago, the Coyotes extended the lead to 27 points this season. South Dakota captured the title with 30 points to runner-up NDSU's 57 points. South Dakota State finished third in the team race with 67 points.
 
South Dakota head coach Dan Fitzsimmons was named the Summit League Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year for the fourth-straight season.
 

On the men's side, four Coyotes earned all-league honors as the team finished third with 55 points. South Dakota State captured the men's title with 31 points and North Dakota State finished runner-up with 42 points.
 
Junior Eldon Warner led USD for the fourth time this season with a third-place finish. He finished the 8,000-meter course in 24:52.90, a time less than a second off his personal best time from two weeks ago. His time was also three seconds shy of USD's fastest finish by an individual at the Summit League Championships. Warner earned his first career all-Summit League honors with a spot on the first team.
 
Senior Brice Cowman clocked a personal best of 25:17.86 for eighth place. Cowman made the all-Summit second team for the first time of his career.
 
Also making the all-Summit League second team for the Coyotes were junior Nate Wendt in 12th and freshman Luke Bailey in 14th. Wendt finished in a personal best 25:31.37 while Bailey clocked in at 25:40.12.
 
Freshman Isaac Benz rounded out the Coyote scorers in 18th place. Benz clocked a personal best of 25:51.44.
 
The Coyotes' remaining four runners each recorded new personal best times on Saturday. Junior Jacob Simmons took 21st in 26:16.87 and freshman Cole Streich finished 25th in 26:37.22. Freshmen Seth Iverson and Kallo Arno took 27th and 30th, respectively. Iverson clocked 26:57.89 and Arno crossed the line in 27:03.35.
 
 
In addition to the second-longest streak in Summit League history, South Dakota moves to seventh on the list of active conference title streaks nationally with four. Women's programs with longer active streaks include New Mexico (10), Eastern Kentucky (6), Florida A&M (6), Arkansas (5), New Hampshire (5) and Furman (5).
 
South Dakota toes the line at noon on Nov. 10 for the NCAA Midwest Regional in Ames, Iowa. The top-two teams and top-four individuals not on a qualifying team in each region earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.