The Minot State cross country teams will begin a very quick and competitive season in South Dakota at the start of September as the Beavers race towards the NSIC and NCAA Championships later this fall.

The Beavers compete in five events over four weekends during the regular season in preparation for the NSIC Championships, which will be hosted by the University of Mary on Saturday, Oct. 21, just down the road at McDowell Dam on the outskirts of Bismarck, North Dakota.

“This year’s schedule is high quality with many local race opportunities within North Dakota and along the state border,” said third-year head cross-country coach Sarah Fowler. “The North Dakota collegiate running scene is very competitive, so we have great opportunities to test ourselves every race weekend.

“This year, the NSIC Championships are in our backyard at the University of Mary,” she added. “We’re very excited to have the Championship in North Dakota. The atmosphere is going to be awesome having the support of friends and family at the meet that we haven’t been able to have in the past due to location.”

The race to the NSIC Championships begins at the Augustana Twilight on Friday night, Sept. 1, for the Beavers, who one week later are right back in action competing at the Dragon Twilight on Friday night, Sept. 8, hosted by Minnesota State Moorhead in Schells Field at Nemzek Stadium in Moorhead, Minnesota.

After getting the race season started, Minot State gets two weekends off to rest and recover before heading to a pair of meets, one hosted by the University of Arkansas on Friday, Sept. 29, and the other a conference-preview hosted by Mary the same day.

Part of the Beaver team will race at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayette, Arkansas on Friday afternoon, Sept. 29, while other Minot State runners race in-state at the Marauder Invitational on Friday, Sept. 29, at McDowell Dam.

“We are very excited to take athletes down to the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas.” Fowler said. “This is one of the largest cross-country festivals with over 80 collegiate teams in attendance. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see where we stack up outside of North Dakota and the NSIC in preparation for the NCAA Regional Championships.”

Minot State then wraps up the regular season at the Jimmie Invitational hosted by the University of Jamestown at Parkhurst Cross Country Course in Jamestown, North Dakota on Friday, Oct. 6.

The postseason begins with the NSIC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 21, at McDowell Dam in Bismarck, then the Beavers head to the NCAA Central Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country course in Joplin, Missouri.

The NCAA National Championships will be at the same course as the Region meet on Saturday, Nov. 18.