Montana cross country competes well in Bozeman opener

Friday, September 1

Bozeman, Mont.

7:20 PM

Montana

MSU Bobcat Twilight

Photo by: Shanna Madison/UM Athletics

Montana cross country competes well in Bozeman opener

9/3/2023 5:55:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana cross country team opened its season on Friday night in Bozeman at the Bobcat Twilight Meet, competing well against one of the top teams in the conference and the country. The icebreaker meet – consisting of a pair of 5K races - is the first of four regular season stops for Montana.

Maxwell Scott paced the men's team with a sixth-place finish in a field full of runners from the nationally ranked Montana State team. Scott kept pace well with the leaders in the lapped event, finishing within 16 seconds of the winner and eight seconds within second place. His time of 15:13.4 is a good starting spot for a runner that scored at the Big Sky Indoor track and field meet in a highly competitive 5,000m field.

Cooper Morris finished second on Montana, and Lane Cole followed him as both runners cracked the top 10 overall in the meet. The sophomores each ran 15:30 or better in the event. The youth was on display, as freshman Carson Steckelberg ran fourth for Montana and 11^th overall in the event.

Senior Rogelio Mares ran a 16:01.6 for 14^th place overall and fifth on Montana. The Grizzlies had five more runners in the event, including a trio of freshmen as they look to reload under second year head coach Doug Fraley.

On the women's side, the Hallgrimson twins paced the Montana roster. Jade Hallgrimson, a transfer from Nebraska in her first season with Montana, led the way with a time of 18:58.6. She finished in 10^th place overall in the event, and her sister Jaylyn Hallgrimson crossed the line 12 seconds later in 12^th place overall.

Montana finished in a line following them, led by Iris McKean with a 14^th place finish, Kayla Ingraham in 15^th, and freshman Layne Lathrop in 16^th.

After opening in Bozeman, Montana will now have a week off before returning home for the Montana Invitational. The meet is expected to draw a highly competitive field as it will be a preview for the Big Sky Championship course at the end of October.

Montana men's finishes: Maxwell Scott (15:13.4, 6^th), Cooper Morris (15:28.1, 8^th), Lane Cole (15:30.3, 9^th), Carson Steckelberg (15:35.8, 11^th), Rogelio Mares (16:01.6, 14^th), Truman Thompson (16:06.7, 16^th), Henry Ballinger (16:17.6, 18^th), Nathan Carter (16:25.5, 19^th), Colin Shaules (16:39.2, 23^rd), Zachary Giesch (16:45.8, 24^th)

Montana women's finishes: Jade Hallgrimson (18:58.6, 10^th), Jaylyn Hallgrimson (19:10.3, 12^th), Iris McKean (19:15.6, 14^th), Kayla Ingraham (19:22.3, 15^th), Layne Lathrop (19:58.8, 16^th), Shay Pederson (20:15.2, 17^th), Bridget Boyle (20:37.9, 19^th), Ella Rubel (20:53.2, 20^th), Kaden Leverenz (21:31.8, 21^st), Abby Sherwood (22:11.1, 22^nd)