Tiger Cross Country looking for step forward in 2016

MITCHELL, S.D. – Strength in numbers will be key for the Dakota Wesleyan University men’s cross country team in 2016. The Tigers return four starters from a year ago and will hope to find their footing in the Great Plains Athletic Conference this season under second-year head coach Derik Fossum.

Tiger Cross Country looking for step forward in 2016
September 5, 2016

MITCHELL, S.D. – Strength in numbers will be key for the Dakota Wesleyan University men's cross country team in 2016. The Tigers return four starters from a year ago and will hope to find their footing in the Great Plains Athletic Conference this season under second-year head coach Derik Fossum.

Kenesaw, Neb. products Lane Tibbs and Jeremiah Panec will be a staple for the men this season. Tibbs placed in the top-25 in two different meets last season, while bringing home a 54th-place finish at the 2015 GPAC Championships. Panec had strong showings as well, finishing in 19th place at the 2015 DSU Herb Blakely Invitational and a top-25 finish at the 2015 GPAC Championships. Sophomore Bryce Blank (Rapid City, S.D.) showed strong flashes in his freshman year and will be a stronger runner in his sophomore year.

Senior Elliot Banks (East Sussex, England) will add depth the Tiger roster, while also competing for DWU golf this fall.

Fossum brought in four newcomers to push the upperclassman, including local standout Rex Schlicht (Woonsocket, S.D.). Schlicht placed in the top-20 four times at the Class 'B' state meet, and was named to the All-State cross country team four times for his efforts. Also joining the Tigers will be Alex Cottrill (Lead, S.D.), Brandon Phelps (Tea, S.D.) and Huron, S.D., native Ryan Chase. Chase earned six varsity letters in cross country for the Huron Tigers.

The Tigers competed in the Augie Twilight on Friday, and will travel to Spearfish, S.D. to run in the Gage McSpadden Memorial Invite and will round out the month of September in Storm Lake, Iowa at the Buena Vista Invite. DWU travels to two different locations in October, including the Briar Cliff Invite on Oct. 8 and the Mount Marty College Invite on Oct. 22. Finally, the 2016 GPAC Championships takes place on Nov. 5 in Hastings, Neb.

The women's cross country team welcomes five newcomers to the team in the 2016 season as juniors Morgan Aughenbaugh (Huron, S.D.) and Shailhyn Schweigert (Burke, S.D.) will be counted on by head coach Derik Fossum to lead the pack. Sophomore Kelsie King (Mission Viejo, Calif.) returns after gaining valuable experience in her freshman year, including a 35th-place finish at the 2015 DSU Herb Blakely Invite.

Parkston native Taya Heisinger enters her freshman campaign after placing in 18th place at the state cross country meet. Emily Hanson (Alexandria, S.D.) another local product finished the Class 'B' state cross country meet in the top-25 and was a five-time state cross country qualifier.

At the Augie Twilight, Panec led the DWU men with a 46th-place showing in a time of 20 minutes, 20.21 seconds, followed by Tibbs in 84th with a 20:50.59. For the women, McKenna Rogers (Saint Michael, Minn.) led the way with a 67th-place showing in 18:29.55. The Tiger men placed 17th as a team, while the women were 18th.