Just two meets into the 2023 season the Minot State cross country team is picking up right were they left off but this time with a new face at the lead.

The Minot State Men’s cross country team is coming of an impressive 2022 Central Regional run where they placed nineteenth out of thirty teams.

After just missing a top five place in conference, this year the Beavers look to solidify their spot at the top of the conference.

“We were pretty happy with were we finished for the most part last year and we could tell that there was a lot of growth to be had still with this team. It was a young team,” said Minot State Cross Country Interim Head Coach, Steven Schultz.

So far this season the beavers are off to a hot start placing ninth out of thirty-two teams at the Augustana Twilight and the second at the Dragon twilight.

Over the past two seasons a lot the programs success can be credited to the growth of the team.

With seventeen runners on the roster this is the biggest team since the programs inception in 2010.

“The teams gone through a lot of chances the past couple of years, it’s really developed, I feel like there’s been a bit of a snowball effect,” added Minot State Junior Runner, Camden Jasmin. “The last couple of years we were a pretty small team a couple of years ago and then each year we’ve just been gaining more and more athletes and recruits.”

With Schultz being named the Interim head coach at the beginning of the season, he is not treating this temporary position lightly.

To Schultz his title does not change his approach and commitment to this team, for him there is no difference, his focus is to improve the program and the student athletes on the team.

“I’m treating it as if this is my job to lose, if I’m 100 percent honest about it,” said Schultz. “They’re going to have to force me out of here, that’s kind of how I’m looking at it.”