BEMIDJI, Minn. – Bemidji State University Cross Country kicks off the 2025 season with 5,000-meter Augie Twilight in Sioux Falls, S.D. Friday evening.
The Beavers last competed in this race in 2023, finishing 18
th overall with a 20:40.74 average. Of the returning runners from that team, now senior
Maggie McCarthy finished 106
th with a time of 20:03.89. Classmate
Nadia Vaughn followed with a 156
th finish at 20:56.64.
Augustana University will host the 14th Annual Augustana Twilight under the lights at Yankton Trails Park. On the collegiate side, the women's 5k is slated for an 8:30 p.m. start while the men's four-mile race is at 9:00 p.m.
A season ago, the Twilight attracted 75 high schools and 35 collegiate programs. The 35 colleges and universities for the collegiate races consist of five Division I schools, nine Division II schools, six Division III schools, 11 NAIA schools and four NJCAA schools. Amongst the Division I programs, the Big Ten's Nebraska Cornhuskers and regional foes of Omaha, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and St. Thomas (Minn.) all competed in 2023. From the Division II schools, all 10 represented the NSIC. One of the largest races in the region, the event attracts more than 5,000 participants, coaches and fans annually for the races under the lights featuring teams from NCAA Division I to high school junior varsity squads.
Following this weekend in Sioux Falls, the Beavers will have two weeks to prepare for the Roy Griak Invitational 6,000-meter race, hosted by the University of Minnesota. They'll then head to the home of the newest members of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Jamestown, N.D., home of the University of Jamestown Jimmie Invitational. Rounding out the season, the NSIC Championships are set for October 24 at the Wayne Country Club in Wayne, Neb.
For more information on the Bemidji State Track and Field program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversXCTF), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversXC).
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
