MSU-N races in Billings

After two weeks off, the Montana State University-Northern cross country teams got their inaugural season going again.

Last Saturday, the Lights and Skylights competed in the Yellowjacket Invitational, hosted by Montana State-Billings. The event featured several NCAA Division II teams, as well as Northern, Rocky Mountain College and Central Wyoming.

On the men’s side, the Lights finished with a score of 177, for sixth place. Black Hills State was first with a score of 21. Northern was able to enter eight runners in the race, with Will Ketchum being the Lights’ highest finisher. Ketchum finished in 53rd place overall with a time of 30:32.07. Jamie Leiberg placed 54th overall, finishing the 8K in 30:32.86, while Tristen Belgarde was right behind Leiberg with a time of 30:54.12.

Tristin Gone (37th, 32:39.82), Sundance Lodge (UA, 60th, 34:31.62), Alex Williams (61st, 35:56.06), Justin Seevers (63rd, 36:56:60), Andrew Potter (64th, 41:05.51) and Patrick Yuhas (65th, 42:01.90) also raced for the Lights in Billings.

On the women’s side, which was a 6K race, the Skylights scored a 110, while South Dakota Mines won the team title with a 25.

Individually, Rachel Nelson paced the Skylights with 25th-place finish. She came across the line in 29:24.20. Breck Don was next for Northern with a 26th-place finish in 29:32.05, while McKenna Barkus placed 28th with a time of 30:07.77.

Amelia Clark was 31st with a time of 31:22.87 and Courtney Cota was 32nd with a time of 31:56.23 to round out the scoring for the Skylights.

Northern has one regular season meet left. The Lights and Skylights will take part in the UGF Invitational Oct. 23 in Great Falls.