Peterson and MSUB men's cross country finishes 2nd at Yellowjacket Invitational

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu October 8, 2015 Peterson races Baldwin to finish, takes 2nd at Yellowjacket Invitational MSUB Distance on Facebook Interviews with head coach Dave Coppock and senior Robert Peterson Men’s Results MSUB Cross Country Stack on ISSUU

Robert Peterson and Alec Baldwin were locked in a tight battle at the 26th annual Yellowjacket Invitational.

MSUB’s Robert Peterson and Black Hills State’s Alec Baldwin run a thrilling race at the 26th annual Yellowjacket Invitational. Baldwin pulls away in the last loop of the race for the win with Peterson crossing in second place.

BILLINGS, Mont. - On a beautiful morning at the course at Amend Park, MSUB's Robert Peterson and BHSU's Alec Baldwin ran a thrilling race during the 26th annual Yellowjacket Invitational.

It was neck-and-neck through the first half of the course when Baldwin began his kick to pull away. Through the last 80m Peterson pushed hard to close the gap, but Baldwin had created too large a distance, cruising to the finish line in a course record 24:30.39.

Peterson placed second in 25:13.14 and the Yellowjackets were second as a team finishing behind Black Hills State 40-21.

Cresting at the top of the first hill straight across from the start line, Peterson and Baldwin moved to the front of the race, separating themselves from the other runners into the first 800 meters.

The two competitors were even through the first two loops, pushing themselves even further in the lead. During the final loop, Baldwin began to pull away from Peterson. Rounding the last long stretch the senior pushed the pace generating a lead of 80 meters in the straightaway. Around the turn into the finish line, Baldwin opened up his largest lead of the day, cruising to the finish line for the title.

Peterson dropped his time from last year by more than 15 seconds.

Black Hills State, nationally ranked No. 20 this week, placed its top-5 runners in the top-10, and all seven of its finishers in the top-11 as the team ended with a score of 21 points.

MSU Billings placed runners in the 2-5-8-12-13 slots for a total of 40 points. Behind Peterson, senior Matt Winter finished second for the team in 25:55.18. Behind him Jorey Egelend (26:18.46), Tyus Senior Matt Winter Mendoza (26:55.08), and Liam McKay (26:58.99) completed the top-5 for MSUB. Garrett Love was the team’s sixth runner, placing 15th in 27:06.95 while Ivan Colmenero in 25th crossed the finish line in 28:51.61.

South Dakota School of Mines with 84 points and Rocky Mountain College at 98 points finished team scores. Also in attendance, Central Wyoming finished with four runners and did not score in the team results.

THE BUZZ: Peterson dropped his time from last year’s Invitational by five seconds…this is the second time the Yellowjacket Invitational has been run at Amend Park…this is the first time this season Matt Winter has placed second for the Yellowjackets and was named today’s St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Day…Jorey Egeland improved his time from last season’s Yellowjacket Invitational by 30 seconds.

UP NEXT: Next week MSU Billings and Rocky Mountain College will host a dual-meet at Riverfront Park in Billings, Mont.

The two teams will compete on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 4:00 p.m.

--@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--