Regional races cap cross country season

2017 Performance List

The Montana cross country teams will wrap up their fall season this week when the Grizzlies compete at the NCAA Mountain Regional at Logan, Utah.

The races will be held on Friday morning at the Steve and Dona Reeder Cross Country Course. The meet is being hosted by Utah State. The women's six-kilometer race will start at 10:15 a.m., the men's 10-kilometer race at 11:15 a.m.

The Montana women's team opened the season ranked ninth in the region and was picked third in the Big Sky Conference preseason poll.

Because of injuries and team results that understandably suffered because of it, that would be as high as the Grizzlies would be ranked all fall. Montana, which placed sixth two weeks ago at the Big Sky championship, is not in the top 15 in the region in the latest rankings.

The team finished 16th at regionals last November.

"We definitely want to get a higher placement than we did last year. Our goal is to be top 12," said coach Vicky Pounds, whose team finished two points behind fifth-place Weber State at conference.

"Looking at conference and some of the teams we were close to, our goal will be to key off some of those teams within the race."

Montana will have six runners competing in the women's race: seniors Reagan Colyer and Maryn Lowry, juniors Jessica Bailey and Emily Pittis, sophomore Samantha Engebretsen and freshman Madeline Hamilton.

Colyer, Bailey and Pittis will be racing the course for the second year in a row. Last year's region championship was held at the same venue.

Colyer was the team's top finisher, coming in 59th overall. Bailey and Pittis were both within 18 seconds of Colyer.

"Reagan had her best race of the season on this course last year, so she's going in really confident and excited, and that's bringing her teammates along with her," said Pounds.

"And some felt they didn't have great races last year, so they kind of want to get redemption. Emily wants to have a better race."

Pittis finished ninth at the conference meet, giving her All-Big Sky Conference honors. She or Lowry has led Montana at every meet this fall, with Colyer in the top three at all five races.

Bailey qualified for regionals in the steeplechase in May on the track, but she wasn't able to carry that fitness over to the fall. She missed the season's first two races but finally looked like her old self at conference, finishing second on the team, 22nd overall.

"Jess had a great race at conference, so having the four of them working together on Friday is the plan," said Pounds. "We're going to work together and race together like the women's team is so great at doing.

"It's so nice to have a cohesive group of girls who really believe in this team and want to work together as a team."

The men's race will have more talent than any of the nation's other eight regions, with four teams in the top eight in the latest poll. Northern Arizona, the defending national champion, is first, BYU is second, Colorado is fifth and Colorado State is eighth.

Southern Utah (12), Air Force (16) and Utah State (23) are in the top 25.

"Our region is so strong. It's really cool to be toeing the line with some of the best teams in the nation. It's always a great experience," said Pounds.

Surrounded by great programs who excel because of their teamwork, Montana -- senior Micah Drew, juniors Jonathan Eastwood and Dillon May, and freshmen Andrea Baratte and Kyle Peterson -- will, by design (and decision), do the opposite and race as five individuals.

"We're just not where we need to be mentally or physically to compete as a team," said Pounds. "So we'll approach it as individuals. Everyone will have their individual race plan and individual goal."

Montana finished 17th out of 17 teams at regionals last fall.

University of Montana Athletics

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Jessica Bailey

Reagan Colyer

Micah Drew

Jonathan Eastwood

Dillon May

Emily Pittis

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