The University of Minnesota Duluth closed the books on the 2016 season Saturday morning with a ninth-place finish at the 25-team NCAA Division II Central Regional Championships in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival and host Augustana University won the 8K event, which was held at the Yankton Trail, with a team score of 65 points while Missouri Southern State University was three points back. The Bulldogs (266 points), who were 13th at the same event last year got their top individual placing -- for the second season in a row -- from junior Henry Jessen, who was 20th among 170 runners with a time of 31:49.53. UMD also received points from sophomore Isaac Overmyer (23rd place; 31:54.26), junior Cody Sedbrook (42nd; 32:30.82), senior Drew Johnson (91st; 33:24.13 in his collegiate cross country farewell) and sophomore Nick Lawson (92nd; 33:24.47). Junior Blake Anderson (94th; 33:26.75) and sophomore Adam Armbruster (110th; 33:45.05) were the other two Bulldog entrants in Sioux Falls.

"This was a good way to end the season - by finishing third only to Augustana and MSU-Moorhead (4th) among NSIC schools," said UMD head coach Paul Nisius. "It was a big improvement over last year and we were expecting that.

"I was really pleased with our depth this season. With the exception Lewis Crossover and the NSIC Championships, we had a different top seven in every meet."

2016 NCAA II Central Region Championship Results