UI women take gold

Mandy Macalister led five Idaho runners in the top 15 as the Vandals won the women’s gold division at the Bowles Invitational cross country meet in Salem, Ore.

Macalister clocked 17 minutes, 24.75 seconds over the 5,000-meter course, with teammates Alix Lee-Painter (eighth) and Dee Olson (10th) also in the top 10. The Vandals totaled 26 points to beat rival Boise State by 27, with the CC Spokane sixth and Gonzaga ninth.

The Sasquatch were nipped by Montana 57-62 for the men’s title. CCS freshman Dak Riek broke a 10-year-old school record with a 24:33 clocking over 8,000 meters.

“Washington State’s men and women were seventh and eighth, respectively, in the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, where Northern Arizona and Minnesota took the team titles. Andrew Jones was the top Cougar man with a 13th-place finish, while Sara Trane was 22nd for the women.

Also at the meet, Paul Limpf placed 30th in 25:12 to lead Eastern Washington’s men to 16th place. EWU’s women finished 15th, led by 38th-place Mattie Bridgmon (22:24).