FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu September 17, 2016 Yellowjacket top-5 finishes in tight pack at MSU Invite MSUB Cross Country on Facebook | MSUB Cross Country on ISSUU | Results
Mark Hovland finished third for the Yellowjackets at the meet in Bozeman, Mont.
The Yellowjacket top-5 finishes within a minute of each other at the competitive MSU/Bozeman Running Company Invitational in Bozeman, Mont. BOZEMAN, Mont. – The MSUB men’s cross country top-5 all finished the Montana State University/Bozeman Running Company Invitational within a minute of each other Saturday at the Bridger Creek Golf Course. Jorey Egeland continued his streak of leading the Montana State University Billings squad, finishing as the ‘Jackets No. 1 runner, placing 55th overall in the collegiate division, finishing with a time of 26:16.33. MSU Billings competed against 12 schools from NCAA D1, D2, and the NAIA during the largest meet so far this season for the Yellowjackets. The MSUB team placed ninth overall on the 5-mile course, with the runners averaging 26:47.72. Senior Garrett Love finished second for MSUB in 26:25.20 for 61st place overall. Junior Mark Hovland claimed the third place for the Yellowjackets, covering the course in 26:57.76 and 84th place. Josh Panasuk was fourth (87th, 27:02.25) and Ronald Venema fifth (98th, 27:17.06).
The Yellowjacket top-5 ranged from 26:16.33-27:17.06, as the top pack crossed the finish line within a minute of one another. Tyus Mendoza (27:33.7), Liam McKay (28:11.54), Ivan Colmenero (28:24.68), Jacob Marshall (28:38.18), and Isaiah Girard (28:49.27) round out the MSU Billings team results. Colorado State University-Pueblo, a NCAA Division II school, claimed the top-2 spots in the race. Derrick Williams finished the course in 24:30.43, while teammate Marcel Laguera in 24:32.15 ran just behind. Utah State won the team event, nudging CSU-Pueblo out by a single point, 54-55. Host Montana State placed sixth with 147 points. The University of Montana was eighth at 258 points. MSU Billings finished with 287 points in the men’s team competition for ninth, finishing ahead of D1 competition North Dakota and Northern Colorado. “I thought our men’s team was very competitive today,” MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. “They ran a very even race and paced themselves well. The team has been running extremely consistent over the last few meets. The freshmen are also improving every week and are coming together with the rest of the team. Jorey and Garrett ran two good races for our top runners. I think the team is on the right track for the end of the season. As the distances get longer, the team will be even better as they are working on endurance training for the longer 10K.” THE BUZZ: Hovland named the St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Day…MSUB earned points in the 41-46-61-64-70 places for its team total. UP NEXT: MSU Billings is set to host the NCAA Division II west region preview meet on Friday, Sept. 23. The Yellowjackets are hosting the 2016 NCAA D2 west region championships on Nov. 5, and next week MSUB will preview the course at Amend Park, bringing in competition from across the region. The men’s 10K race begins at 10:00 a.m. Admission is free and open to the public during the event. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--