SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota State seniors Zach Johnson and Payton Smith were voted to the Summit League Academic All-League Team for the 2023 men’s cross country season, the league office announced Tuesday.
Johnson owns a 3.85 cumulative GPA pursuing a master’s degree in agribusiness and applied economics, after earning his bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics with a minor in computer science. He led NDSU with a third-place finish at the Summit League Championships – the best performance by a Bison at the conference meet since 2007.
Smith has a 3.89 cumulative GPA as a double major in exercise science and psychology. He placed 12th at the Summit League Championships to earn second-team all-league honors. Smith was among NDSU’s top five finishers at every meet this season.
2023 Summit League Men’s Cross Country Academic All-League Team
| Name | School | Year | Hometown | GPA | Major |
| Daniel Burkhalter | South Dakota State | Sr. | Prairie City, S.D. | 4.0 | Statistics |
| Zach Johnson | North Dakota State | Sr. | Moorhead, Minn. | 3.85 | Agribusiness & Applied Economics |
| Will Lohr | South Dakota State | So. | Sioux City, Iowa | 3.94 | Civil Engineering |
| Luke Labatte | North Dakota | Sr. | Inver Grove Heights, Minn. | 3.87 | Commercial Aviation |
| Payton Smith | North Dakota State | Sr. | Carrington, N.D. | 3.89 | Exercise Science and Psychology |