Come Cheer on the Dragons: Dragon Twilight Invitational This Friday
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Minnesota State Moorhead cross country begins the 2026 season this weekend as MSUM hosts the 11th annual Dragon Twilight Invitational on Friday. The women’s 5k race will begin at 8:10 p.m. with the men’s 6k run set to follow at 8:40 p.m.
The Dragon Twilight is one of the biggest events on the MSUM cross country calendar, drawing roughly 60 teams from around the region to campus. Food trucks will be on site, and fans are encouraged to come out, cheer on the Dragons, and make a night of it before the sun goes down.
Live video and results will be available at msumdragons.com. Please note that Midco Sports Plus is the new streaming home for all MSUM athletic events.
Quick Notes
Preseason Buzz…The Dragon women were picked to finish 10th in the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll behind 96 points. On the men’s side, Moorhead was selected to finish second in the league, earning 182 points and a first-place vote. Senior Katelyn Kennedy and fifth-year Chase Hoechst were noted as the MSUM “athletes to watch” in 2026.
Kennedy, a senior from Brainerd, Minn., earns MSUM’s preseason athlete to watch honor following a strong junior campaign. The senior was Moorhead’s top finisher at the NSIC Cross Country Championships with a 6k season best time of 23:07.8. Kennedy was also the top Dragon at the NCAA Central Region Championships. The senior marked the 11th-fastest 5k in program history at last season’s Dragon Twilight, finishing at 18:47.2.
Hoechst is coming off a strong 2025 cross country campaign, led by an All-NSIC First Team finish. The Bismarck, N.D., product finished fourth at the conference championships a season ago, clocking a 25:11.7. Hoechst was also a USTFCCCA All-Central Region performer for the Dragons in 2025, finishing 24th overall at the region race. He finished with a 31:24.5 10k mark, which is now the eighth-fastest in MSUM history.