ST. PAUL, MN (VCSUVikings.com)- Dennis Gonzalez had a Top 60 individual finish and the Viking men’s cross country team ran a strong team race Saturday at the very large Roy Griak Invitational.
Competing in a field of 44 NCAA Division II and NAIA teams, Valley City State battled warm weather and a tough course to finish in 28th place.
The Vikings were the second-best NAIA school in the field and had the top finish among all North Star Athletic Association teams. Saturday’s race was the first time this season that VCSU has competed against Dickinson State, the pre-season favorite to win the NSAA title. The Blue Hawks placed 40th at the meet and fellow NSAA team Waldorf University placed 43rd.
Gonzalez’s strong race led the way for VCSU as he placed 57th overall in a field of 472 runners. His 8k time of 27:11 was more than a minute faster than the nearest NSAA competitor.
VCSU’s two through five runners all finished within 53 seconds of each other. Orin Rambow placed 220th in a time of 29:05; Joe Celis was 229th in 29:12; Zach Nelson placed 256th in 29:29; and Louis Leon rounded out the team score by taking 299th in a time of 29:58.
The Viking women did not run a complete team at the race, but Grace Miller had an outstanding performance as she placed 123rd out of 402 runners. Miller’s time of 24:59 on the women’s 6k course was the second-fastest time of all NSAA women’s runners. Julianne Wilson also crossed the line for the Viking women, placing 298th in a time of 28:03.
“I am extremely proud of our athletes today as they handled a challenging course and exceedingly warm weather with determination and toughness,” said VCSU head coach Chris Johnson. “I could not be more impressed by how our men motivated each other and wound up with a strong team finish, as well as how our women’s team is starting to come together despite some injuries. Myself along with the rest of the coaching staff is really looking forward to seeing both full teams compete at Jamestown in two weeks.”
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next: Valley City State is off until Oct. 6 when the Vikings will compete at the Jimmie Invitational in Jamestown.