CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State cross country will open its season this Friday, September 11 at the Gage McSpadden Memorial Invitational, hosted by Black Hills State.

The meet will start at 6 p.m. in the Fort Meade Recreation Area in Spearfish. It will be a 4K race for the women and a 6K race for the men, just shy of the championship distances of 6K/8K that will be contested in the second half of the season.

Looking Back
Chadron State competed in five cross country meets during the 2025 season. At last year's Black Hills State meet, Chadron State finished fourth out of six teams on the men's side and fifth out of six on the women's side, but Samantha Rodewald led all CSC runners with an individual fifth-place finish.

Later on, the women's team finished first among 10 programs at the Yellow Jackets/Battlin' Bears Open. Four runners in that meet who return to this year's squad placed in the top 15.

The Eagles would go on to finish 12^th (women's) and 13^th (men's) at the RMAC meet and 17^th (men's) and 18^th (women's) in the NCAA regional meet.

In the Polls
Based on a vote of the league's head coaches, the Chadron State women's program was picked 11^th in the RMAC preseason poll. The coaches project an upward trajectory for the women's team, who have finished 12^th at each of the last two RMAC Championships after being picked 13^th and 12^th in the last two preseasons.

STORY: Cross Country Preseason Poll

In the same poll, the men's program was picked 14^th. They were picked 13^th and finished 13^th last season, but have only one senior on the roster (compared to five for the women).

The Staff
Creighton Trembly, an assistant coach last season and a CSC student-athlete from 2020-2025, has stepped in as the Interim Head Cross Country/Track and Field for 2026-27.

STORY: Creighton Trembly Named Interim XC/TF Coach

Another new staff addition is Zach Hentschel, who joins Chadron State as a cross country/distance coach after concluding his athletic career at neighboring South Dakota Mines. While running cross country and track (400, 800, 1500, 5K) for the Hardrockers, Hentschel earned six All-Academic Honor Roll selections.