WEST SALEM, WIS.(VCSUVikings.com) – Valley City State sophomore Riley Roy-Lagasse took fourth place Saturday at the NSAA Cross Country Championship as he earned a spot at nationals and led the Viking men to a third-place finish.

Roy-Lagasse completed the men’s 8K course in 27 minutes, 8 seconds to place fourth overall. The top four finishers not on the winning team advanced to the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 16 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Dakota State took home the team title with a score of 36 points. Dickinson State placed second with 49 points and the Vikings came in third with a total of 59 points. Viterbo University (111) was fourth, followed by Belleve (123), Waldorf (131) and Presentation College (212).

Valley City State senior Dylan Olson raced his way to a ninth-place finish in a time of 27:34. Both Roy-Lagasse and Olson earned All-Conference honors by finishing in the Top 10.

Viking senior Orin Rambow was just outside the Top 10 as he took 12th place in a time of 27:43. Louis Leon came in 15th overall after finishing in 27:52. Menkeh Mendin rounded out VCSU’s team score by placing 19th in a time of 28:25.

Spencer Mattheis (25th, 28:51), Daniel Machado (27th, 29:01), Zachary Nelson (37th, 30:12) and Cody Perdue (38th, 30:22) also competed for the Vikings.

Dakota State’s Braden Curnow won the individual title with a time of 25:56.

Up next: Roy-Lagasses will compete at the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 16 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.