GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota State women's cross country team captured its fifth Summit League team championship Saturday morning at Ray Richards Golf Course.
 
NDSU won by a 30-point margin, finishing with 38 points. South Dakota State was the runner-up with 68, and North Dakota took third with 100.
 
Sophomore Grace Link led the Bison with a career-best time for the six-kilometer course, taking second place overall in 20:12.0. Kaleesa Houston finished third in a personal-best 20:13.5. The duo now rank fourth- and fifth-fastest in school history for the cross country 6k.
 
It was a dominant team effort by the Bison women, placing four runners in the top 10 and seven among the top 20. Sophomores Allie Wahlund (20:48.2) and Reagan Baesler (20:49.9) took 9th and 10th, respectively. Erin Valgardson finished 14th, Kelby Rinas was 17th, and Alexis Roehl came in 19th.
 
All of NDSU's top seven runners posted the highest Summit League meet finish of their careers.
 
Link and Houston earned All-Summit League first team honors by virtue of their top-seven finishes, and both came in under the previous meet record time. Wahlund, Baesler and Valgardson were named second-team honorees for being in the top 14.
 
It was the first conference cross country title for the Bison women since 2019. NDSU won three straight Summit League team titles from 2011-13.
 
NDSU will race at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Columbia, Mo., on Friday, Nov. 11.