SPEARFISH, S.D. – Senior Wyatt Bly finished in third place individually in the men's race while Samantha Rodewald earned a top-10 finish in the women's race to highlight Chadron State performances at the season-opening Gage McSpadden Memorial Invite at Fort Meade Recreational Facility. 

The men's 6K race and women's 4K race were contested on Friday evening, but results from the race were not made official until Saturday.

Bly's 6K time of 18:57.5 is a personal best at that distance by over 45 seconds from last year's race. The Conifer, Colorado native crossed the line third among a field of 37 men's runners, around seven seconds behind the winner, Jaxon Straus of Black Hills State.

The second Eagle to cross the line in the men's race was sophomore Kaden Boltz, who ran 20:21.96, finishing 22nd and earning 16 team points. Freshman Scott Sanok and sophomores Mizaiha Babers Webb and Boady Hunter were the rest of CSC's scoring five.

In the women's race, Rodewald earned another top 10 finish after tallying two last season. The senior ran 4K in 15:25.97 and finished ninth. Teammate Ivy Hise finished 12th, just under 15 seconds behind Rodewald, while freshman Anna Paus (14th) and junior Kyndall Carnahan (15th) gave the Eagles four of the top 15 finishers while senior Katelyn Beshara placed 17th to round out the scoring five.

In the men's standings, Chadron State finished third with 73 team points, behind Black Hills State's 20 and South Dakota Mines's 51. The Eagles also placed third on the women's side, with 62 team points. Black Hills State won the women's standings with 15 points while the Hardrockers barely edged out CSC with 58.

Chadron State competes next on Friday, September 18 at the Bauer Open in Rapid City, the same course that will eventually host the 2026 RMAC Cross Country Championships.